One of the most critical tools in any negotiator’s toolkit is trust; and when trust is lost, it’s very difficult to get back. The situation in DC right now is a prime example of how collapsing trust stymies progress. In his recent Inc article, Attorney, USC Law Professor, and BigSpeak EVP Ken Sterling is well aware of how far trust can take you in a negotiation, and how deeply damaging its loss can be to any deal. 

Whether a negotiation is between business partners or the representatives of opposing political parties, trust, or belief in the basic credibility of the other side, between all groups is the most basic currency in any formal communication. Sterling identifies the current shutdown as resulting from a failure of “emotional credit” between the parties. Both sides believe the other is not acting in good faith and approach the other with a fear-based lens, poisoning the chances of compromise. 

If trust is a vital tool, the ability to rebuild it is equally important to successful negotiators. Sterling recommends acknowledging the reality of the situation as the first step to rebuilding emotional credit, laying the groundwork for a more open, honest communication. Using the language of reconnection allows the slow march back towards progress, one that all the leverage in the world cannot substitute for.