Summary: When an angry public wants to be heard

When negotiators become upset finding joint gain might become difficult. When confronted with negative publicity, executives become so focused on controlling public relations and managing the crisis that they lose sight of the fact that they are even in a negotiation or often skip the value-creation step. They are too concerned defending themselves.

Communication specialists have traditionally advised companies in such situations to focus on message control. But what this advise ignores is the fact that what an angry public wants most is to be heard.

Six facts that can help any organization facing an angry public:

1. Knowledge the concerns of the other side. That way they can avoid to make large concessions. A better strategy than denying personal responsibility for past events might be to express empathy for example. It often is possible to acknowledge the public’s concerns without accepting responsibility and generating exposure to liability.
2. Entourage joint fact finding. This might be done by jointly choosing a set of respected experts, develop the scientific questions to be addressed, allow the experts to articulate areas of consensus as well as disagreement etc. This does not turn decisions over to scientists but it does ensure that the valuable information they have is factored into the negotiation. 
3. Offer contingent commitments. The next step after joint facts have been found is to develop contingent commitments that will satisfy both sides. These are promises that come into effect only if particular deadlines are missed for example. Contingent commitments allow negotiations to move forward in the face of conflicting predictions of the future. 
4. Accept responsibility, admit mistakes and share power. Often that’s the only method to clear the way for new agreements and what the angry public craves most of all. 
5. Act in a trustworthy manner at all times. There are two fundamental rules for building trust: say what you mean an mean what you say. Trust is hard to repair and in some cases may never be repaired at all.
6. Focus on building long-term relationships. Most negotiations require parties to maintain decent working relationships. A current negotiation may very well affect your reputations within the industry or that of your company. Therefore it makes sense to always negotiate as if the relationship matters.

Reaching an agreement, even when the parties are seriously at odds, requires an effort to create value.