Is your latest negotiation going south fast? Well, if it is - here are a few suggestions to use.

Most of us are trained to begin immediately exploring options, and then looking for one right answer to a problem. In negotiations, we want to build rapport with the other party and get to know them and their interests before identifying options. If things are getting heated, more likely than not we have sprung into options and given too little time to interests. We may need to back up and drill down to fully understand the other party's interests and share our own! Once we have done that, exploring options can legitimately proceed. Here are a few guidelines for changing things up, building rapport, stimulating creativity and generating options:

• Rearrange the room or move to a new location to facilitate new and creative thought.

• Invest time up front in relationship building and small talk.

• Get comfortable and agree to suspend judgment during the creative process. You may find it useful to agree upon ground rules to guide the interaction (including a "no criticism" rule).

• List interests you have in common as well as those that are different.

• Dream up as many possible solutions to resolve both sides' interests as possible. Don't be afraid to list crazy or seemingly impossible solutions.