Chapter 10: Handling Deadlock

Deadlock is one of the most counterproductive and undesirable of all the conclusions to a negotiation. We should be alert for its possibilities and try to avoid it. The only exception is where we threaten deadlock as a tactic to galvanise our counterpart into action.

The main cause of deadlock is the absence of sufficient negotiable variables being used. The more variables you can arm yourself with at the start, the less likely it is that you will be deadlocked.

Watch Out for Frustration

Reaching a deadlock is a frustrating experience. Usually, a lot of time has gone into the negotiation. You may have already made one or two visits, your proposals have been put together with hours of work and now you have deadlock. One of the biggest dangers is that you will react badly out of frustration, particularly if this is a large deal and you are getting tired. We can see this illustrated often, when trade unions and employers have long, arduous negotiating sessions, day and night. When there is deadlock it produces a certain type of aggression that causes one or both parties to make unwise statements or unwise moves.

Be aware of it, be prepared for it and be careful how you act when in the middle of it.