Calm down enough to break the attack-attack cycle. Any conscious effort at self-control will help you regain your composure. Two anger-management tips from the Mayo Clinic are especially relevant to negotiations: take a deep breath and call for a short break. With your emotions in hand, move to what I call the “one small step” procedure. Make a small, unambiguous move in the other side’s direction, draw attention to it, then wait for reciprocity. If the other party responds in kind, you can repeat the cycle again, and so on until a normal relationship rhythm is restored.
