When the pressure is on and everyone is looking to us for answers, we often turn to our intuition to help us make those all important decisions. But during negotiations, we need to be able to rationalise our decisions in a calm, informed manner rather than suffer the consequences of decisions made on a gut feeling. Rash decisions can certainly free us a lot of time but in a business setting we need to lean more towards logic to justify our actions.

Many of us are confident that we can distinguish between occasions which require indepth thought and times when we can allow our intuition to kick in. But it is easy to be misled by our intuition and allow it to have more input than it should, especially at times when just one single snap decision could have long lasting consequences.

For instance, imagine a drawing of two picture frames, one is long and thin and the other is square and wide. When relying on intuition it is easy to conclude that that the long, thin frame is smaller than the square one. However, if both picture frames were measured, it would be clear that both were the same size. This is where instinct can fail you. Making such decisions in business could lead to bad mistakes which may be hard to rectify.

We all have two forms of decision making:

Quick thought intuition where decisions are made autonomously and without any doubt. A negotiator will react with quick, snappy responses to a situation.

A slower response to a decision where the negotiator will make a decision after careful thought with a logical explanation as to why the decision was made.

As busy professionals we can often become bombarded by information overload which causes our cognitive thinking to become exhausted. When we are constantly immersed in intellectual activity our powers of perception, judgement and reasoning are diluted. As a result, the thinking process starts to lapse. If a situation is complex, the brain will rely on intuition to take over and help us to reach that decision.

It is perfectly justifiable to rely on instinct for matters which have no long term impact on our lives such as deciding where to have lunch. We can even use our instincts to build up a rough idea of how a future plan may evolve. However, this will be a temporary view until logical decisions are thought through in more detail at a later stage. This helps to keep time our time streamlined so as we can concentrate on more important matters which require deeper thought. Using the logical mind to analyse every problem that arises would be mentally exhausting and there would be no benefit from reacting in such a meticulous fashion.

Think about it...

Make it an aim to list a set of pending tasks which require the skills and expertise of your logical mind. If you have negotiations looming which could result in large sums of money coming in or going out of the business, complex details or a change in direction for your company, you owe it to yourself to prepare for such occasions. This means allowing the brain to become absorbed in the thought process when it is alert, judgemental and analytical.

Don't put yourself under pressure...

By adopting a logical frame of mind, you prepare in advance for those times when you need to be extra vigilant. Set aside an entire morning or afternoon to discuss any complex matters in depth, so as the brain is 'fired up' and able to raise those questions and concerns which would otherwise be overlooked in a rushed environment. The intuitive mind can only act on information and feelings which has been presented before it so if you are rushed, it can only provide an answer based on the brief outline that it has been given. If someone pressurizes you into making a decision they may be working on a hidden agenda.

Break it down into manageable chunks...

We have a natural desire to make life as easy as possible. Hence the reason why we are often quick to close a deal before giving it proper thought. If you anticipate a situation becoming complicated and intense, break it down into smaller segments over a period of time. This way you can evaluate points, anticipate potential hurdles, ask questions which may not have surfaced and build up a picture of how things are likely to pan out.

Taking a slower, logical approach to major decisions

This will reap its rewards and allow you to gather your thoughts and work towards a final decision in a series of steps. For example:
Day One: A one or two hour face to face meeting.
Day Three: A telephone discussion to clarify points and raise questions.
Day Five: Email correspondence to integrate further ideas and suggestions
Day Seven: A final meeting where all of the above points have been evaluated and an informed decision has been made.

From the outside looking in...

When making decisions, humans rely on two ways of looking at things: They use an insider lens and an outsider lens.

An insider lens is used when intuition allows a negative or positive thought to be determined from a situation. When the negotiator is removed from that environment, he then relies on his inner lens to make rational informed decisions. Whilst the inner lens is able to produce emotions which create a 'knowing or sense' feeling about a situation, the outer lens is able to look at the wider picture without emotion and analyse the findings.

Important decisions connected to a new business should never rely on intuition, even if the hunch feels right. The outsider lens should be used for all matters related to planning, construction and hiring. The same can be said for entrepreneurs and business people who forecast their future over a five year period. It is estimated that over 85% of business owners have a strong hunch that they will flourish. If they had viewed their current situation and taken the time to analyse their future, they would be surprised to learn that the chances of a new business surviving for five years is less than 35%.

If you fear that you may be acting on intuition rather than logistics, try asking someone neutral to attend important negotiations with you. This could be a trusted friend, business consultant or employee. When a meeting is highly charged you can leave it to them to pick up on negative points you may have missed or raise important facts which could have been disregarded. Such a person will maintain an objective view and will not be weighed down with emotions which could cloud their judgement.

Another way to override your intuition is to view the situation as an outsider. This means removing yourself mentally from the situation by imagining that you are standing in for someone else. By doing this you can analyse information without emotion and easily find the answers that you are looking for.

These simple strategies could go a long way to helping you use your logical mind in favour of your intuition. This way you can always take a step back to weigh up the pro's and con's before reaching a final decision. We are programmed with psychological biases which influence our intuition and lead to irrational decisions. When you react from an outsider point of view, you leave all of these biases behind and are able to reach decisions from the facts which are presented before you.