How A VR Escape Room Can Teach You About Negotiation Style
I just participated in a facilitated team exercise delivered by Glued Training Consultancy and what an eye opener it was (plus a great deal of fun!)
It started with a personality identification activity. Each participant was aligned (to varying degrees) with one of four “animal styles”:
- Panther
- Koala
- Meerkat
- Fox
We were then placed into mixed teams and sent into a virtual reality (VR) escape room challenge.... a fantastic evolution for companies to immerse themselves in "Team Skills & Development"
It was fast, immersive and, unexpectedly in my opinion, highly relevant to negotiation.
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The Four Styles Under Pressure
The Panther
- Direct, decisive, action-oriented and fast paced.
- Strong at driving momentum.
- Risk: interrupting, blunt communication, controlling behaviour.
The Koala
- Calm, reflective, considerate and nurturing.
- Strong at stabilising the team and maintaining harmony.
- Risk: indecision, reluctance to push forward.
The Meerkat
- Sociable, enthusiastic, creative and energetic.
- Strong at idea generation and positivity.
- Risk: impulsiveness and rushing.
The Fox
- Analytical, detailed, questioning and precise.
- Strong at protecting the team from error.
- Risk: over-caution and hesitation.
When placed together in the escape room, these styles immediately surfaced.
- The panthers wanted to move.
- The foxes wanted more information.
- The meerkats generated ideas rapidly.
- The koalas ensured everyone was heard.
When balanced, the team performed well.
When unbalanced, friction appeared quickly.
Why This Matters in Negotiation
Negotiation magnifies personality.
- Direct becomes aggressive.
- Analytical becomes paralysed.
- Sociable becomes unfocused.
- Calm becomes passive.
None of these styles are right or wrong.
The problem is not personality.
The problem is lack of awareness and lack of adaptation.
The Critical Question
Most negotiators ask:
“What tactic should I use?”
The better question is:
“What happens to my personality under pressure?”
- If you are a natural panther, can you practise slowing down?
- If you are a fox, can you practise deciding sooner?
- If you are a meerkat, can you practise structuring your contributions?
- If you are a koala, can you practise assertiveness?
Practice Is the Missing Link
An escape room works because it exposes behaviour in real time.
- You cannot adjust personality tendencies by reading about them.
- You adjust them by experiencing pressure, receiving feedback and repeating the exercise.
I Had Time For Reflection
The escape room was enjoyable, but more importantly... it was revealing and I love "revealing" because there lies the true path to development.
Humans negotiate differently because humans are different, but....
The most effective negotiators are not those with the strongest personalities.
They are those who understand their personality, and can adapt it.
Want To Practice Adapting Under Pressure:
Negotiation capability is not built through theory ... it's built through deliberate practice.... So JOIN a Club and start today!
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