Negotiation Consultant Shermin Kruse to Speak at TEDxReno

At nine years old, Shermin Kruse witnessed a rare but important occurrence that would eventually set the course for a future career in law, storytelling, expert negotiating, teaching, and producing thought-provoking events. Today, this Northwestern Pritzker School of Law professor is thrilled to be taking the stage at TEDxReno on Saturday, May 21st with the titled talk “Negotiating from a Place of Weakness Using Cognitive Empathy.”

While Kruse spent most of her childhood in Iran, through the 1980s amidst morality guards and during the war, it is where she learned that powerlessness was not just about bombs and brutal governments but also in being a minority, a woman, poor, and an immigrant. These circumstances served to weaken Kruse’s bargaining position in nearly every negotiation in her life until she discovered the skills of tactical cognitive empathy which helped to raise her positions in her academic, professional, and personal life.

“Today’s negotiation trainers tell us to separate the people from the problem to find a fair resolution or give advice such as ending sentences in an upward inflection to sound less threatening to the other side,” explains Kruse. “But what if you’re the weaker party - whether it’s by position in society, gender, race, economic status, or employment position -how do you have a chance at the table at all?

In her TEDx talk, Kruse will reveal tactical cognitive empathy as the skill of understanding the thoughts and emotions of the counterpart without feeling emotionally attached to them. By using concrete tools and skills, Kruse will teach how to weaponize empathy to flip the power-switch in your favor in all negotiations, from the bargains that help you thrive in an overwhelming corporate world to those that may keep a family safe.

A highly coveted speaker, Kruse is passionate about topics relating to complex negotiation, tactical empathy, stoicism, change-agency, leadership, and professional development and often speaks on issues of international relations, non-profit management, and civil & human rights. She recently announced the launch of her Tactical Empathy Master Class on Saturday June 4th that will showcase how cognitive empathy can offer a leg up in any negotiation no matter what position of power (or powerlessness) a person may start from.

To learn more about Kruse or the class, please visit www.SherminKruse.com.