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People who live in he indusrializedworld are oen emoionally deachedrom each oher; modern urban lie

has narrowed many o our senses,and we are losing acuiy in our eel-ing o ourselves and ohers. Accord-ingly, mos people end o undersand ne-goiaion as jus a raional process, as a menalgame hey play around he able in compeiiveineracions wih ohers. Tere are many, pre-dominanly raionalisic models and concepso negoiaion ha propose raher calculaiveapproaches and algorihmic hinking and paylitle atenion o human sensuousness, eelings,

inuiion, sponaneiy, creaiviy, and body lan-guage. ai Chi can be helpul in realizing moreinuiive, sensual aspecs o dealing wih ohersin negoiaion and could give modern negoia-ors useul insighs in making uller use o heirhuman poenial.

ai Chi, as an ancien Chinese inernal mar-ial ar, has deep philosophical roos in ao-ism. ao can be undersood as a naural wayo exising or an unconsrained pah. aoisnaural acion, or doing wihou doing, can be

meaphorically compared wih a waercoursein naure: waer moves wih ease; i is exibleand so bu has inner power and can overcomeenormous and solid obsacles. One o he un-damenal principles o aoism is represened in

he ai Chi diagram o he supreme uli-mae s, wih he symbols o Yin andYanghe uniy o seemingly conrary

orces. Tere are many illusraions omuually conradicory bu comple-

menary opposies: male and emale,high and low, le and righ, day and nigh,

ho and cold, ec. ai Chi as a menal and physi-cal pracice is based on he balance, dynamicequilibrium, and uniy o Yin and Yanghedriving orces o he universe, naure, and hu-man exisence.

Tough based on he same undamenalprinciples, dieren schools, models, and orms

o ai Chi exis. Some emphasize is marial arapplicaions, ohers is mediaion or healh as-pecs. ai Chi is also praciced now as a spor.Here we would like o discuss some negoiaionapplicaions o ai Chi as a so, psychological,marial ar.

In modern negoiaion lieraure here area number o well-known dualisic conceps,such as disribuive vs. inegraive bargaining,posiional vs. ineres-based negoiaions, andvalue claiming vs. value creaing. We oen see

he leters vs. beween hese wo ypes o ne-goiaions, since many scholars and praciio-ners undersand hem as opposies, or reversephenomena. I is a dieren sory wih Yin and

Yang. According o aois philosophy and ai

Norms &Standards

EvolvingEnvironments

EmergingActors

ISD WORKING PAPERS IN NEW DIP LOMACY

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Tai Chi Lessons for NegotiatorsAlisher FAizullAev | April 2012


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Chi hinking, Yin comprises Yang, and Yangconains Yin. Tey are always presened wihineach oher, and one canno exis wihou heoher. In oher words, Yin and Yang are non-dualisic conceps, and using hem in negoia-ion analysis and pracice requires a nondualis-ic undersanding o human naure and o henegoiaors connecion wih he opponen.

A ai Chi approach o negoiaion implies adynamic balance beween Yin and Yang moves.Tis means ha a negoiaor has o combine in

his or her behavior boh Yin and Yang compo-nens: on he one hand, o be recepive, coop-eraive, adapive, inegraive, empaheic, andpracice corresponding, lisening, giving in,accommodaing, and reconciling, i.e., a so ne-goiaion syle; bu, on he oher hand, o be as-serive, compeiive, disribuive, anagonisic,and pracice opposing, compelling, speaking,aking in, hampering, and enorcing, i.e., a rmnegoiaion syle. In ai Chi, however, sonessis combined no wih brue hardness, which is

isel associaed wih siness and rigidiy, buwih inner power ha enables one o overcomeough obsacles, as in he case o a waercourse.Some schools o ai Chi recommend sonesso hear and hardness o mind, or ouer sonessand inner hardness.

Laozi, he ancien Chinese philosopher andounder o aoism, wroe in his classic ao eChing:

Men are born so and supple;

dead, hey are si and hard.Plans are born ender and plian;

dead, hey are britle and dry.

Tus whoever is si and infexible

is a disciple o deah.

Whoever is so and yieldingis a disciple o lie.

Te hard and si will be broken.

Te so and supple will prevail.1

So so is no weak.ai Chi has so-called ormindividual

exercisesand also a sparring pracice namedPush Hands. ai Chi orm is a oundaion ornoncompeiive or compeiive Push Hands,and heir slow, relaxed, and smooh movemens

and dynamic mediaive drills rain he prac-iioner in mindulness, concenraion, innersrengh, and exibiliy. We can approach nego-iaion as a menal orm o ai Chi Push Hands,

where boh sides ry o mainain heir inner bal-ance while he parner or opponen srives odesroy i by pushing.

We can use he word parner in he con-ex o noncompeiive (inegraive) PushHands negoiaions and reer o he opponen

when speaking o compeiive (disribuive)

negoiaions. However, according o ai Chiphilosophy, any noncompeiive ineracionsconain some compeiive elemens, and nocompeiion can exis wihou an elemen ocooperaion. In boh inegraive and disribu-ive negoiaions, he negoiaor can succeedonly i he or she is mindul o and sensiive ohe opponen, achieves a close connecion wihhim or her, and undersands and uses he ohersides srenghs and weaknesses. All hese hingsrequire a sense o oneness wih he parner/opponen.

1. Sephen Michell, ao e Ching Persona (NewYork: HarperCollins, 1992), p. 76.


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Here are some basic conceps and ips orconducing he ai Chi Push Hands syle o ne-goiaion.

Mindulness: Be aware o yoursel, he op-ponen, and he environmen; be atenive andsensiive; connec wih he opponen, and ex-perience his or her srenghs and weaknesses.

You should no only be well prepared orhe negoiaion bu also be here and now;pay ull atenion o your parner, including hisor her body language, he process, and he en-

vironmen; organize he bes mode o inerac-ion, using nonverbal communicaion, space,and able arrangemens. Good inerpersonalconac, conaining handshake, eye conac,and empahy, helps ineracions and engage-men wih he oher side. Ge a sense o his orher cenerhe basic sance and argumens.Keep conneced wih he opponen. I is useulo pracice some negoiaion inelligence gah-ering on he parners psychological sae andatiudes by chating or a ew minues abou

he weaher, spors, or oher neural subjecs.Every negoiaion has is own amosphere andenergy; i is imporan o eel his, use i duringineracions, and change i necessary by verbaland nonverbal means.

Nonresisance: Be so, relaxed, calm, ex-ible, naural, and genuine; release ensions;

breahe naurally; respond o orce by yielding,avoid siness and rigidiy, receive he parnersmoves wih genleness.

Conronaion, hosiliy, and aggressionin negoiaion can be eliminaed only i youare relaxed; i you are ense, he oher side

will also become ense. ension-ree negoia-ors are more aware and sensiive; hey can bemore creaive and make beter use o heir in-

ner srenghs. Many weak and inexperiencednegoiaors rejec he parners argumens im-mediaely under he pressure o heir own innerensionoen his is maniesed in heir bodylanguage and muscle ension. Le he excessiveemoions and negaive energy o he opponengo. ai Chi Push Hands negoiaion suggessha direc conronaion wih he parner oropponen can resul in losing ones balance. I is

beter o use a yes, bu echnique, hough oemploy i nonmanipulaively, wih undersand-

ing and real meaning. Absorb he power o heopponen nonconronaionaly while keeping

your balance.Refeciveness: Be recepivehis is he bes

way o become asserive when necessary; ry olearn more abou your parner and his or hersance; respond o he siuaion and your par-ners moves wih genleness; urn his or her ac-ions ino ineracions; combine Yin and Yangmoves, and ollow heir dynamism.

Quesions and argumens are your main

moves in negoiaions, hough your body lan-guage, atiudes, energy, and eelings also aeche negoiaion process. Do no keep atackinghe opponens nonessenial argumens; alwaysarge he oher sides cenral line o argumena-ion (pu pressure on he cener) while reain-ing your own principles. Remember: Goodnegoiaors end o ask quesions and welcomehe oher sides quesions. Open quesions, clar-icaions, paraphrases, summaions, as well asnonverbal maching (body wih body, gesure

wih gesure, voice wih voice, ec.) wih hecounerpar are he insrumens o engagemen.Respond o your parners quesions wih iner-es and consideraion, and quesion he weaksides o he opponens posiion especially. Do


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hese moves wih genleness, someimes jushe one o your voice or he movemen o youreyebrows can make a dierence. Be so in re-ceiving quesions and rm in answering hem;

be recepive o your opponens argumens andasserive wih your own argumens. However,

your rmness and asseriveness should no beosenaious, bu conneced wih your innersrenghs and balance. Any verbal asserionscarry angible pressure, bu acul quesionsconain genle pressure. Tose who use srong

declaraions, allegaions, and afrmaions maybecome oversreched, and i is easy o desroyheir balance jus wih genle quesions. I isimporan o use boh lisening and speakingpowers, and so quesions are one o he mospowerul ools o grea negoiaors.

Modesy: Avoid overexension and ex-remes; do no become oversreched; exrememovemens can make you unbalanced; do nooverdo or underdo; use simple moves and ex-pend only such energy as is necessary.

In negoiaions speak smoohly; do no beoo as or oo slow; do no become overexciedor ranquilized; do no push your parner oohard; do no use excessively srong or abusivelanguagei he oher side is recepive andempy,2 hen you will jus lose your balance.

Avoid overcomplicaed phrases and senences,use clear and simple quesions and argumens.Do no pu yoursel in sressul siting or sand-ing posiions. Follow he naural pah o iner-acions during he negoiaions, and sense he

2. o be empy means o be ree rom ensions anddisracions; empiness allows he negoiaor o mobi-lize quickly and reac o he quesions and argumens ohe opponen. I is very difcul o unbalance he sance ohe empy negoiaor.

righ ime or a break or or ending he session.Good negoiaors are neiher overconden norunassured, hey do no hurry and do no linger.

Mobiliy: Always be mobile and seady inyour mobiliy; use circular movemens,3 space,and naural gesures o engage your parner;do no lose your connecion wih him or her,and keep your body posiion uprigh; draw heoher side ino your cener, and mainain yourinner balance.

Your mobiliy is your abiliy o lisen and

speak, o be recepive and asserive, o ollowhe parners line o argumen bu no deparrom your own cenral, undamenal poins.Nauralness, soness, and easing ensions help

you o be mobile and exible, o respond o andneuralize your parners poins and make yourown poins. You have a beter chance o keep-ing your inner balance when you are able oconsruc discussions around your own srongargumens (drawing he oher side ino yourown cener). Tere are also physical and spa-

ial aspecs o mobiliy: Someimes you canuse space eecively, especially i you are los-ing connecion wih your parner, by leavinghe able, walking around, and having inormalconversaions, or by engaging in discussions inhe corridor. However, do no overexend andoversrech yoursel rying o convince your op-ponenhis may desroy your balance.

ai Chi is a complicaed ar and akes yearso maser. Te same applies o he ai Chi mar-ial ar o negoiaion. I requires inner srengh

3. Circular movemens preven he ai Chi praciio-ner rom sreching; in negoiaion circulariy means con-srucing argumens around he sronges ones and ques-ioning he opponens argumens rom dieren sides(surrounding).


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Alisher Faizullaev

isdworkingp

apersinnewdipomacy

Insiue or he Sudy o Diplomacy

Edmund A. Walsh School o Foreign ServiceGeorgeown Universiy

Washingon, DC 20057

elephone 202-965-5735Fax 202-965-5652

Web sie htp://isd.georgeown.edu

and genuine respec o he opponen. Tis syleo negoiaion gives he negoiaors he oppor-uniy o realize heir srenghs and weaknessesand nd a soluion in real ineracions. Somemay like i, bu ohers may preer dieren ypesor syles o marial ar in negoiaion. Some

skillul diplomas somehow pracice i. In anycase, even small insighs rom ai Chi migh beuseul in consrucing a more comprehensivenegoiaion syle, sraegy, and acics. A big

journey begins wih a small sep.

ABOUT THE AU THOR

Dr. Alisher Faizullaev is a 20112012 FulbrighScholar a he Flecher School o Law and Di-

plomacy, us Universiy and he Insiue orhe Sudy o Diplomacy, Georgeown Univer-

siy. He works as a proessor and he direcor ohe Negoiaion Laboraory a he Universiy o

World Economy and Diplomacy in ashken,Uzbekisan. His email is [email protected].
http://isd.georgetown.edu/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://isd.georgetown.edu/

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