Of course you can also learn how to deliberate over metaphors -- reflect, review, take apart the conversation afterwards and tease out what metaphors might have been in use. But I prefer to focus on what needs to be learned so you can apply your knowledge of metaphor during negotiations.

Of course, also, you can pickup interesting metaphor systems to use during negotiations or to introduce into discussions if you are mediating -- and there are many of these with proven usefulness to use in characterizing cultures, the conflict resolution process, and many that are so very suitable for particular content areas. But I prefer to focus on what I believe are the fundamentals of the metaphor process so you will become more flexible and agile in using them.

- You probably have already found yourself using metaphor in negotiations or as you help others to negotiate. Certanly you have seen others do so. Metaphor is a spontaneous form of expression.

- Metaphor is powerful and efficient in its effect. It works quickly and holistically to impart information, expand viewpoints, and reorganize people's thinking.

- Now, after 25 years of productive research and theory development in linguistics, philosophy, psychology and cognitive science, a great deal has been learned. One likely reason that metaphor is used spontaneously and is so powerful and efficient is that human thinking is based mostly on metaphor. That is, metaphor is at the heart of human cognition so it naturally emerges as a form of expression and is quite easily assimilated in communication.

- But metaphor research has clarified something else as well. It is that most of the metaphoric thinking process goes on outside of conscious awareness. Although we are thinking metaphorically, we may only be conscious of the results, overlooking the process. We are thinking figuratively yet being aware only of the end product, and most of the time taking it to be quite literal.

- To use metaphor skillfully and flexibly, therefore, requires us to bring this thinking process more into conscious awareness. How are we to do this? We all know that psychological research isn't always easily applied in practice, but happily much of the recent work in cognitive science can be adapted to help us develop our skill in using metaphor.

Whenever we speak of improving the mediation or negotiation process it seems we are speaking about ways to constructively shift one's thinking. Most of the research done on the negotiation process focuses on how disputants think. Now we learn from cognitive science that what seems to be at the heart of the human thinking process is metaphor. How appropriate it is that those of us studying the negotiation process should study metaphor. And how appropriate it is that those of us who practice as mediators should become as skilled as possible in using metaphor.

- Familiar with the conceptual systems underlying such common
words,... extending...

- Familiar with the conceptual systems underlying such common
words,... extending...

- Familiar with the conceptual systems underlying such common
words,... extending...

- Knowing the difference between Target and Source Domains of a metaphor, can shift focus easily between the problem as concretely experienced and the metaphoric reference which brings in additional meaning.