Negotiations speaker Misha Glouberman is an expert in conflict resolution. In one of his most recent keynotes (which often function more like collaborative Q&A sessions than stiff, rigid speeches) he explains that there is usually more than one way to solve a disagreement and get what you want. "There are really great solutions that are not obvious," says Glouberman, "the tricky part is that being open to these unseen solutions isn't what our brains are naturally wired to do."

Rather, people are naturally inclined to piece together the limited information at their disposal and then act towards a solution with blinders on. Meaning, we often only see one solution to a problem instead of branching out to think about all of our options. When we step back and assess an issue from multiple perspectives, we can formulate a better picture of the problem at hand and potentially find a more effective solution. This, however, is not possible when we develop an enemy-battle mentality, Glouberman warns. Thinking of situations as zero-sum games (where one party's loss is the others gain) is not an effective way to achieve your goals, and can often cloud your judgment and cause you to make poor decisions. Instead, he suggests keeping your end goal in mind at all times, and remaining open to multiple ways of achieving that goal. 

As the host of the popular Trampoline Hall non-expert lecture series (a monthly event in Toronto which often sells out) and the long-standing teacher of "How To Talk To People About Things," (a workshop held at The University of Toronto) Glouberman helps audiences hone their negotiation and communication skills in his engaging, and interactive, talks.