I recently stumbled upon a 16 – year old article from Yahoo HotJobs, about the nuances of body language, facial signs, vocal tricks, and my interpretation of Jedi mind maneuvers to getting what you want. If you have Parkinson’s disease and you read this article, you might be dismayed by the author’s expectations of what is required to get what you ask for. Unfortunately, I’m unable to find the article online.
In all honesty, my intentions were to elongate this revelation of an article and detail the specifics why negotiation with a neurological condition is so challenging. The short answer is that for most of us, we have tremors, dystonia, dyskinesia, dysfluency, eye issues, and other tells that come with our physical and mental roadblocks to power negotiations.
Parkinson’s disease can be disarming when it comes to being heard, being seen, and being understood! There are actions that may help, but the first key, is to not stop trying for something that brings you results. For over 40 years with Parkinson’s disease, I can tell you that combining a healthy diet, an exercise regimen, and a positive attitude even though our bodies may give us away from negotiation strength, honesty, decency, and caution can still be powerful in negotiation and achieving a successful exchange.
