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In simple terms, the Principle of Direct Temporal Sequence refers to the understanding, that every event or action unfolds in a clear, deliberate and chronological order, where each step directly Shapes and Influences the next one.

In other words, every action taken at one moment has a direct causal impact on subsequent moments and outcomes, simple as that. In nowadays science, this principle isn’t related to Negotiations anywhere, reason I like to do it and found out it can be.

And if you do, it adds probably “another dimension” to your negotiation preparation game, let’s think of concession planning, where now not only the “what” but the “when” is considered as well, turning a common, reactive interaction into a proactive, strategically engineerd success, because:

Negotiations don’t simply unfold over time; they unfold because of time. Every small choice, even tiny delays or subtle sequencing decisions, profoundly influences psychological perceptions, negotiation dynamics and ultimately, the final outcome.

When applied specifically to negotiation, for me, this principle means a bit more awareness about:

• Sequential Influence: Each negotiation move (initial offer, concessions, disclosures, pauses) directly sets the stage for the next interaction. An action in one moment influences the expectations, reactions and behaviors of all parties involved in subsequent moments.
• Timing as a Strategic Asset: Recognizing the power of timing allows negotiators to deliberately pace their actions, understanding that –WHEN something happens matters as much, if not more! than –WHAT actually happens. Science back’s this up, you might want read that again, please. For instance, a concession offered too early might signal weakness, while precisely timed silence might subtly enhance leverage.
• Cumulative Effect: Our actions don’t occur in isolation; they accumulate psychological and strategic momentum. Initial interactions set expectations, mid-point concessions influence perceived flexibility, and later moves close the deal by leveraging the built momentum.
• Predictability and Trust: Maintaining consistent timing and deliberate sequencing builds trust and reliability, essential to cooperative outcomes. Conversely, erratic timing damages credibility and breaks negotiation flow.

Let’s think of some advanced, temporal strategies for daily negotiations and those, ready to elevate their preparation and practice a bit with several sophisticated timing approaches that can finally transform outcomes.

Strategic Sequence Disruption

While direct temporal sequence provides a framework, –occasionally breaking expected patterns can. create. advantage. When your counterpart anticipates a standard negotiation flow, a deliberate deviation can –Reset Dynamics.

For instance, in environments where negotiation typically begins with small talk to warm up the “emotional room temperature” followed by agenda-setting and such.., diving directly into a key concern instead can be startlingly effective. The Surprise creates Engagement and communicates seriousness without aggression or such, you might experience doing the very same, but way later in the process, that’s truly facinating!

Controlled Information Flow

Information is negotiation currency, and its strategic release or withholding shapes outcomes. Rather than simply deciding what to disclose, start plan when to disclose it. Re-order it. See how it works. Adjust.

Consider salary negotiations: Revealing your current compensation early limits options, while disclosing it after establishing your market value and contributions shapes how that number is interpreted.

The Sequence transforms the same information into either a -Ceiling or a Floor.

Cultural Awareness of Temporal Sequence

Different cultures follow different negotiation rhythms. What constitutes “direct” sequence varies dramatically across boundaries. While American business cultures often prize efficiency and quick resolution, many Asian business contexts value extended relationship-building phases before substantive discussion.

The international negotiator who rushes past cultural preliminaries isn’t being “efficient”—they’re disrupting the expected sequence and potentially damaging outcomes.

For me, it’s the “Temporal Dimension of Excellence”

The principle of direct temporal sequence once more reveals negotiation as a beautiful, dynamic flow rather than a static exchange. By realizing first and understanding later how each action sets the stage for what follows, you transform random interactions into strategic progression.

The next time you enter a negotiation, whether for a major contract, a team resource allocation, or even a family decision, consider not just what you’ll say, but when you’ll say it.

How will your opening move shape expectations?

How will you pace concessions?

When will you introduce key information for maximum impact?

Sequence isn’t just about order, it’s about creating causal chains that lead naturally to your desired outcome. By adding this temporal dimension to your toolbelt, you don’t just participate in negotiations; you choreograph them just a tiny bit more, or, as some like to put it:

“To some extend, Negotiations are like a great piece of Jazz: Structured Improvisation.. You need to know which notes to play first to set up the melody”

Let me know pls. how factor in sequence planning went for you and best till next time.

Some of you know I’m an various fields action-sports enthusiast—photography, to me, once seemed a pastime reserved for after a second heart attack, if ever.

Yet, Julia Anna Gospodarou’s bestselling “From Basics to Fine Art” transformed me into a hobbyist photographer far sooner than expected. My recent entry, “Joseph,” for this year’s int. “Black & White Photography Awards”, sparked a revelation: doesn’t that title—”From Basics to Fine Art”—echo the journey many of us navigate in mastering negotiation?

Comparing my Negotiation Preparation with my Photography Workflow unveiled striking, often surprising connections I’m eager to share with you.

Core Parallels

1. Approaching the Subject from Multiple Angles
Photography: You circle a subject, testing perspectives—adjusting your stance, experimenting with angles—to capture its essence in the frame.
Negotiation: Likewise, negotiators probe diverse viewpoints—yours, your counterpart’s, and external dynamics—to carve a path to agreement. Like a photographer framing the perfect shot, a negotiator pivots strategically to uncover the stance that resonates most powerfully.

2. Adapting to Shifting Light and Mood
Photography: Light ebbs and flows, reshaping a scene’s emotional tone. You tweak settings or timing to seize the mood you envision.
Negotiation: In negotiation, the “light” is the emotional and contextual atmosphere—tensions may flare, or new insights may illuminate the dialogue. A deft negotiator, akin to a photographer mastering exposure, modulates tone and pace to sustain a climate ripe for progress.

3. Physicality and Strategic Positioning
Photography: The craft can demand physicality—scaling abandoned structures or contorting into extreme positions for the shot. Where you stand matters.
Negotiation: Physicality plays a role here too: body language, eye contact, even seating arrangements. Positioning—whether at the table or within the conversation—can confer advantage or cultivate collaboration.

4. Proactive Precision and Attention to Detail
Photography: In street photography, you anticipate movement—positioning yourself, waiting for someone in matching colors to cross the frame—while fine-tuning settings with exactitude.
Negotiation: Negotiators preempt their counterpart’s moves, crafting responses with care, attuned to nuances like contract terms or subtle cues. Both hinge on foresight and meticulous execution to seize fleeting opportunities.

5. Patience Paired with Mental Agility
Photography: Patience—awaiting the ideal light or moment—blends with readiness to act when the scene aligns perfectly.
Negotiation: Negotiators bide their time for the right moment to offer or concede, remaining vigilant to capitalize on shifts. In both, timing and alertness can be decisive.

6. Reflection and Refinement
Photography: Post-shoot, you scrutinize your images, rethinking scenes and processes to elevate your next session.
Negotiation: After a deal, reflection—assessing what succeeded, what faltered, and how the dynamic unfolded—sharpens your craft. Both thrive on a cycle of action, analysis, and growth.

Subtle, Yet Profound Connections

Framing: In photography, framing dictates what’s included or omitted, sculpting the viewer’s perception. In negotiation, how you frame your proposal shapes your counterpart’s lens—both crafts turn on what you emphasize or obscure.

Exposure: Photographers balance light for clarity and range; negotiators calibrate how much to reveal—too much risks weakness, too little undermines trust. Both seek equilibrium amid dynamic variables.

Focus: A photographer sharpens the subject that matters most, softening distractions. Negotiators prioritize key issues, letting lesser points fade—focus drives the narrative in each.

Composition: Using principles like the rule of thirds, photographers arrange elements for harmony or tension. Negotiators structure arguments and pace discussions for impact—both orchestrate parts into a unified whole.

The Decisive Moment: Henri Cartier-Bresson’s concept of the perfect instant in photography mirrors negotiation’s tipping point—when resistance yields or a deal crystallizes. Recognizing and acting on it is paramount.

Storytelling: A compelling photo speaks without words, evoking meaning through visual cues. Negotiators craft narratives to persuade or connect—both distill complexity into resonant messages.

Capturing Emotion: Photographers freeze a scene’s mood or a subject’s expression in time. Negotiators read and steer emotions—theirs and others’—with empathy, not artifice, forging rapport that lingers. Emotions, processed swiftly by the amygdala, etch memories deeper than logic, rendering a negotiation’s subjective value—how parties feel about the outcome—more enduring than its terms. While facts sway the mind, emotions anchor commitment, ensuring lasting resonance.

A Deeper Synthesis

Photographers and negotiators are architects of perception.

Consider photography’s exposure triangle—aperture, shutter speed, ISO—balancing light to reveal beauty. Negotiation mirrors this, harmonizing concessions, timelines, and relationships to illuminate value.

Exceptional photography unveils hidden meaning in the mundane through asymmetric, unique angles; masterful negotiation, as Dr. Keld Jensen teaches f.e., uncovers Asymmetrical Value—leveraging non-obvious interests to mutual gain.

Both are truly arts and sciences, demanding strategic vision, creativity, adaptability, patience and relentless learning, refining approaches.

Nowadays, for me, photography transcends a hobby—it’s a crucible for honing negotiation skills as well. It sharpens my creativity, my adaptability, and laser precision focus, enhancing my work as a strategist and advisor with a caring eye to smallest detail.

We construct reality through deliberate choices—what to highlight, what to veil, and how to craft the final “print” that leaves an indelible mark.

Mastery in either field blends art, science, and the nuanced flow of human dynamics.

“Joseph” didn’t claim first place in the international photography contest, but it landed in the Top 10—a fitting milestone.

Isn’t that a worthy aspiration for both photography and negotiation alike?

Picture this: I’m hunched over my glowing office monitor, hours melting into revelations, caffeine-fueled and wide-eyed, diving into MIT’s “Mastering Negotiation and Influence” course. The maestro? Nice guy Mr. Jared Curhan: Gordon Kaufman Professor of Management, negotiation sage and a man who could probably talk & influence a shark into buying flippers..

In essence, his lessons didn’t just stock up my negotiation toolkit. They unearthed insights from my own medical psychology roots—bridging strategy, human interaction and a lifelong passion.

For me, it wasn’t just a course, it was more so an awakening: every negotiation is an intricate dance of influence, trust and persuasion, where subtlety meets power and intellect beautifully blends with intuition. The course reignited my obsession with psychology, fusing these two and others into a combustible cocktail of insight, a toast to brilliance at times.

Nowadays, I’m known for weaving negotiation with unexpected threads, from science to serendipity. Recently, I caught myself studying a waiter’s subtle sway before dinner, proof these lessons lurk everywhere. Curious? Let’s get into it and check if..

The “Zeigarnik Effect” can be -Your Secret Weapon in Negotiation?

Imagine the worst like walking away from a negotiation table with a deal half-done, key issues still dangling unresolved. Frustrating? Absolutely! But here’s the twist: What if I told you that this unfinished business is apsychological lever that could actually work in your favor? Here we enter the Zeigarnik Effect, a quirky psychological phenomenon that might just hold the key to elevating your negotiation game.

As someone with a passion for connecting diverse fields to the art of negotiation, you’re in for a treat as we explore how this concept can weave its magic into your strategies, so what Is the Zeigarnik Effect?

Let’s start with the basics. The “Zeigarnik Effect”, named after Soviet psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik, suggests that people remember uncompleted or interrupted tasks far better than those they’ve finished. Picture a waiter in a bustling restaurant: they recall every detail of unpaid orders with uncanny precision, yet once the bill is settled, those details vanish from their mind like smoke..

Why? Because our brains are wired to cling to “unfinished business”, creating a mental itch—a tension—that nags at us until the task is complete. The kick is: It’s “universal language”. It applies to all humans.

This phenomenon isn’t just a fun fact; at times it’s a powerful force. Think about cliffhangers in your favorite TV series—those unresolved plot twists that keep you hooked, obsessing over what’s next. That’s the Zeigarnik Effect at play, and let’s meet it with the intricate dance of negotiation, The Art of Unfinished Business so to say..

Negotiation is the art of navigating toward agreement, a delicate balance of strategy, compromise and human psychology. Whether you’re hashing out a contract, brokering a deal, or mediating a dispute, it’s rarely a straight path. Issues get resolved, stalled, or left hanging—and that’s where the Zeigarnik Effect sneaks in.

Consider a typical 2person multi-issue negotiation scenario: you’re discussing multiple points—price, terms, deadlines. Some get settled quickly, but others remain contentious and the session ends without full resolution. During the break, what do you find yourself mulling over?

Not the agreed-upon items, but the unresolved ones. They linger in your mind, demanding attention. The same happens to the other party. This mental stickiness is the Zeigarnik Effect in action, subtly shaping how you both approach the next round.

The Connection: How Unresolved Issues Drive Negotiation Dynamics

So, how does this psychological quirk connect to negotiation? At its core, the Zeigarnik Effect amplifies the salience of unfinished issues. When a negotiation pauses with key points still open, those points don’t just sit quietly—they dominate your thoughts. This can influence:

• Memory and Focus: Unresolved issues stick out like sore thumbs, making them easier to recall and harder to ignore. Both sides might spend the interim pondering these sticking points, refining their arguments or rethinking their positions.
• Motivation: That mental tension? It’s a motivator. The desire to scratch that itch—to resolve the unresolved—can push parties back to the table, eager to find closure.
• Strategy: Here’s where it gets interesting. If you know unresolved issues loom large in the mind, you might strategically choose which issues to leave open, steering the negotiation’s psychological undercurrent in your favor.

A Strategic Edge: Wielding the Zeigarnik Effect

Imagine you’re negotiating a contract, and one clause—say, a payment term—is critical to you. You could push to resolve it early, but what if you let it hang unresolved at the session’s end? The Zeigarnik Effect suggests that clause will weigh heavily on the other party’s mind during the break. They might mull over your position, brainstorm solutions, or even soften their stance, all because the unresolved nature keeps it front and center.

Take a sales negotiation as another example. A savvy salesperson might present a proposal with a few details left vague—perhaps delivery timelines or bonus incentives—prompting the buyer to dwell on the offer. That lingering thought could tip the scales from “maybe” to “yes,” as the buyer’s mind wrestles with the unfinished puzzle.

But it’s a double-edged sword. The Zeigarnik Effect is psychological jiu-jitsu.The same effect applies to you. Leave your pain points unresolved and you risk getting armbarred by your own brain—obsessing over their demands, replaying their arguments and sliding into unplanned compromises. The trick? Be deliberate about what’s left hanging and when.

Real-World Examples?

Let’s ground this in reality and consider peace talks: think Camp David or Oslo. Take the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. Key disarmament clauses were intentionally left unresolved early on. During pauses, the IRA and British government fixated on those gaps, a tension that later fueled compromise. Historical negotiations, like those in protracted conflicts, often adjourn with core disputes unresolved. During the hiatus, leaders and mediators reflect deeply on those open wounds, sometimes paving the way for breakthroughs when talks resume. The mental pull of the unresolved is a quiet but potent force.

“Unfinished business, it turns out, can be a peacemaking tool; isn’t just noise – it’s fuel” ←- How nice have I said that? (;-))

The Pitfalls: When the Effect Backfires

Before you start leaving every negotiation half-finished, a word of caution. The Zeigarnik Effect isn’t a magic bullet. If overplayed, it risks:

• Frustration: Constantly dangling issues might annoy the other party, eroding trust—crucial in long-term partnerships.
• Fixation: You or your counterpart might obsess over minor unresolved points, losing sight of the bigger picture and skewing priorities.
• Manipulation Perception: If they catch on to your strategy, it could sour the relationship.

Balance is key. Use the effect subtly—leave meaty, relevant issues open in good intent to keep minds engaged, but resolve enough to build momentum and goodwill.

Here’s how I think you can harness the Zeigarnik Effect in your next negotiation:

1. Choose Wisely: Identify issues critical to your goals and consider leaving them unresolved at strategic moments, ensuring they dominate post-session thinking.
2. Pace the Process: Resolve smaller items early to build trust, letting the Zeigarnik Effect amplify focus on bigger, unresolved stakes later.
3. Mind Your Mind: Recognize when unresolved issues are tugging at your thoughts—step back to maintain perspective and avoid rash concessions.
4. Test It Out: In your next negotiation, observe how leaving certain points open affects your counterpart’s behavior. Do they circle back to those issues more eagerly?

A Final Note: Thoughtful Application

While psychology and the Zeigarnik Effect offers a fascinating lens onto negotiation use cases, it’s not a one-size-fits-all tactic. Its impact can vary, some studies crossed my desk question its consistency, suggesting it depends on factors like task importance or personality. So, wield it thoughtfully, as one tool among many in your negotiation toolbelt.

By understanding how unresolved issues linger in the mind, you can sharpen your strategies, manage your biases, and maybe—just maybe—turn the art of the unfinished finally into your advantage.

So here’s the question: What unresolved issue have YOU been avoiding? Because right now, someone’s mental itch is festering over it. Will you let them control the scratch… or wield the Zeigarnik Effect to make them beg for closure?

Best till next time!