How can you use negotiation to foster responsible innovation in blockchain technology?

2 Understand the context and culture

Blockchain technology is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It depends on the context and culture of the problem you are trying to solve, the industry you are operating in, and the people you are working with. You need to do your homework and research the background, norms, and expectations of your negotiation counterparts. How familiar are they with blockchain technology? What are their pain points, needs, and preferences? How do they communicate, make decisions, and handle conflicts? By understanding the context and culture, you can adapt your strategy, style, and language to suit the situation.

3 Build rapport and trust

Trust is essential for any successful negotiation, especially when it involves blockchain technology, which is often perceived as complex, risky, and disruptive. You need to establish rapport and trust with your negotiation partners by showing genuine interest, respect, and empathy. You can also use storytelling, examples, and testimonials to demonstrate the benefits and value of blockchain technology for them. Avoid using jargon, technical terms, or acronyms that may confuse or alienate them. Instead, use simple, clear, and concise language that they can relate to.

4 Explore options and solutions

One of the advantages of blockchain technology is that it enables collaboration and innovation across different parties and domains. You can use this to your advantage by exploring options and solutions that can create mutual value and satisfaction for you and your negotiation partners. You can use brainstorming, prototyping, or testing to generate and evaluate ideas that can address the problems, needs, and goals of both sides. You can also use feedback, questions, and suggestions to improve and refine your proposals.

5 Negotiate ethically and responsibly

Blockchain technology also raises ethical and social issues, such as transparency, accountability, inclusion, and sustainability. You need to negotiate ethically and responsibly by respecting the rights, interests, and values of all stakeholders involved in your blockchain project. You need to be honest, fair, and consistent in your communication and actions. You need to disclose any relevant information, risks, or uncertainties that may affect the outcome or impact of your project. You also need to consider the long-term implications and consequences of your project for the society and the environment.

6 Manage conflicts and emotions

Blockchain technology can also trigger conflicts and emotions, such as resistance, fear, or anger, among your negotiation partners or yourself. You need to manage conflicts and emotions by staying calm, focused, and respectful. You need to listen actively, acknowledge, and validate the feelings and concerns of your partners. You need to avoid blaming, criticizing, or attacking them. Instead, you need to focus on the interests and issues, not the positions or personalities. You also need to use positive and constructive language, such as "and" instead of "but", "what if" instead of "why not", and "we" instead of "you" or "I".

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?