What Leads to a Lost of Trust in a Negotiation? 

Any number of actions or tendencies by parties may run counter to the beliefs expectations or understanding of the other party. 

As such, to avoid a loss of trust, the following activities should be avoided in a negotiation: 

Breaches or Defections

The act of maximizing ones own interests at the expense of another person or group. Normally, this entails acting contrary to the expectations of another party in a manner that causes the other party a loss of value. 

Miscommunication

This is a failure to communicate information is a manner readily understood by the other party. Miscommunication can result from a deficiency on the party of the transmitter or the receiver. 

Dispositional Attributions 

An attribution that calls into question another persons character and intentions by citing them as the cause of a behavior or incident. 

For example, halo effect is the assumption that if people possess one socially desirable characteristic, then they also must possess other attractive traits. 

Forked-tail effect is a tendency to see people as having other undesirable characteristics in completely unrelated domains once we have identified one negative trait. 

How to Repair Breaches of Trust

Individuals can use any number of approaches to address breaches of trust. Efforts to repair broken trust begin with determining the existence and extent of broken trust. 

The following is a proposed approach to remedying broken trust. 

Verbal Account

Arrange a personal meeting to discuss the conflict and any surrounding issues. Relationship – During a discussion, focus on the underlying relationship and identify points of contention. 

Apologize

Taking responsibility for all or some aspects of underlying relationship tension is important to disarm conflict. 

Air Grievances

Let the other party vent or express their discontent with your conduct or beliefs. Try to avoid getting defensive. Clarification – At this point you can test your understanding and ask for clarifying information. 

Formulate a Remedy

The parties can then begin to put together a plan to address inequities or concerns about the relationship. This may include reparations, which is a payment or transfer of value representing the perceived prior inequity or losses by the other party. 

This most commonly includes structural solutions such as creating rules, regulations, and procedures to minimize the likelihood of violation in the future.

Related Topics

• How do relationships affect negotiation dynamics?
• What contributes to the presence of trust in a negotiation?
• Rational and deliberate methods for building trust in a negotiation?
• What are tendencies that lead to mistrust and how can trust be repaired?