Whom Can You Trust? (Part II)

You're negotiating. But do you have faith in the other party? If not, you'll need a plan (or 2, or 3!).

Photo by Volkan Vardar on Unsplash

“The people are always impressed by the superficial appearance of things.”

—Niccolò Machiavelli

In our last post, we introduced the topic of trust in negotiation settings. Between negotiating parties, or people in conflict, there exists a level of trust. The strength or weakness of that trust will affect, in some way or another, the quality of resolution those parties can achieve.

Can I rely on what he’s telling me? Is there more to the story than she’s letting on? Why should I believe what they’re saying is true?

Trust comes into play whether you’re negotiating the resolution of a lawsuit, working on a business transaction, or dealing with some hassle in your day-to-day.

For example: Travel brings meaningful adventures, wondrous sights and, of course, chances to negotiate, make quick decisions, and resolve conflict.

During our family’s latest expedition, we had several experiences that starkly highlighted the role trust plays in conflict resolution and n…