hen you remove the "e" from "emotion," what do you get? Motion. And that is exactly what you get when you e-negotiate -- fast-paced movement. The important point to remember here is that e-negotiating doesn't leave much room for emotion. People have even invented "emoticons" -- a whole language of symbols to indicate emotion because feelings and tone are not apparently obvious from reading an e-mail.

In fact, the way an e-mail is read often depends more on the mood of the reader than on the intention of the sender. How many times, when you might not have been your usual cheery self, have you read into an e-mail a tone or an implication that was actually not there? Then, when you returned to the e-mail with your usual optimistic approach to life, found the e-mail to be more affable and wondered where you got the impression that this e-mail was not a friendly one. This occurs because we project our own mood on to the electronic communication.

There are times, when tempers are raging or feelings are negative, that you may want to use e-mail exactly because they are more neutral and can mask or remove emotion. Sometimes deals just have to be made in spite of the feelings the negotiators have for each other. During these situations, e-mail can be advantageous. Viewing calmly the proposed terms of an agreement can lead to an unfiltered assessment of the terms and conditions proposed. The entirety of the proposal can be critiqued, often leading to a clarifying response. E-mails, back and forth, can further the negotiation without emotions impeding progress.

Removing some of the emotion that arises during the negotiation can facilitate motion toward the goal of a successful agreement. Remember, the negotiation table is no place for unplanned emotion.