Fatique Impacts Negotiation Ability

We all know how it feels to operate on minimum sleep: not good. Our reactions are slower and our thinking is impaired. So it stands to reason that negotiating when you are tired is not a good idea.

Negotiating requires both physical and mental stamina. Fatigued people just don’t have the same alertness and responsiveness as if they were rested. If you are tired and your opponent is not, that increases his or her negotiating power. When you are tired you tend to make mistakes, deal with stress poorly and most importantly, exhibit faulty judgment (and as you know good judgment is one of the keys to a successful negotiation).

Sometimes fatigue results from too many late night sessions preparing for a negotiation. Sometimes, you had to take a red-eye flight to arrive at your destination. And sometimes the negotiation itself goes on too long and all parties become tired (and perhaps irritable).

Dealing with fatigue is one of the many helpful strategies Dr. Chester L. Karrass provides in his book Give and Take: The Complete Guide to Negotiating Strategies and Tactics. Dr. Karrass advises team leaders to conduct business at regular hours, and see to it that the team eats at normal times and gets enough rest.

Knowing that fatigue takes a toll, any negotiator should rest up before participating in any type of business transaction. Long weekends provide a great way to rest, recharge and re-energize.