Imagine you are having coffee with a friend in a coffee shop. You are sitting across from each other for about ten minutes. Where is your phone? On the table? In your hand? Out of sight?

An interesting study discussed in a blog post on the Harvard  Program on Negotiation  (PON) website reveals the results. In “Does Using Technology in Negotiation Change Our Behavior,” the PON staff (October 17, 2024)  report that the researchers found that “…when a  cell phone was in view, the quality of interactions suffered.” (Id.) :

Specifically, people who spoke to each other with a cell phone present reported less empathetic concern for one another and found the conversation less fulfilling, whether their topic was deep or shallow. The negative impact of a cell phone was even stronger on people who already knew each other. The researchers concluded that the mere presence of a smartphone can distract us from one another and make us miss subtle but important communication cues, such as facial expressions, eye contact, and changes in tone.  (Id.)

This study, conducted by Virginia Tech professor Shalin Mistra and her colleagues, may well suggest that not only is technology thwarting our ability to empathize but also our ability to trust each other:

Trust, an essential element in successful negotiation, enables cooperation, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. Yet “trust is literally under attack, in some spheres,” writes Ebner—think of the “fake news” that proliferated during the 2016 U.S. presidential election and President Donald Trump’s frequent dismissal of the news media’s accuracy. A 2016 Gallup survey. (Id.) indicated that trust in traditional institutions hit its lowest point ever.

So, if technology is altering our brains by changing our behavior patterns (think multi-tasking, which really does not work!), our psychology and emotions such that we can no longer focus for long periods or show empathy and trust, what should we do the next time we negotiate with someone?  (Id.)

The blog post suggests turning off phones and laptops, putting them away, and pulling out paper and pencils. Going back to these basics will allow people to think, focus, talk with each other, and analyze what the other is saying without distraction. Going back to such basics will help build trust, which is the key to any successful negotiation.  (Id.)

In sum, it is all about trust, and our technology impedes that!

… Just something to think about.

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