Negotiate Anything How to Win Minds, Not Arguments: The Power of Compassionate Curiosity
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Nov 17, 2025 
Melina Palmer, a behavioral economist and host of The Brainy Business podcast, sits down with negotiation expert Kwame Christian. They explore the power of the Compassionate Curiosity Framework, which helps defuse tense conversations and promotes understanding. Kwame shares techniques for staying calm under pressure, setting boundaries without conflict, and engaging with challenging personalities. He emphasizes empathy as a practical skill, revealing how to turn tough discussions into opportunities for successful negotiation.
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Simplicity Enables Use Under Stress
- Keep communication tools extremely simple so people remember them under stress.
- Kwame designed Compassionate Curiosity as a three-step portable framework for high-pressure conversations.
Label The Situation, Not The Person
- Acknowledge beliefs or perspectives when people resist emotional labels.
- Use affect labeling on the situation (e.g., "this is frustrating") to calm the amygdala and create safety.
Soften Labels And Validate Partial Credit
- Soften emotion labels with phrases like "it seems" or a humble disclaimer.
- Validate perspectives without endorsing them to create partial credit and keep the conversation open.
