We tend to think of negotiation asa process-heavy journey – and it is. You must first face the issue, determine that yes you will negotiate, establish your negotiation team, set your goals, define your strategy and your tactics, create your demand list, and so on.

Of course, we acknowledge that we can’t always predict what might arise along the way - or how the negotiation will end. Typically, we don’t spend much time anticipating unexpected developments. According to the Schranner Concept, this is not only acceptable – it is preferred. Rather than guessing the other side’s every move or trying to forecast the future, we should build flexible scenarios and prepare to adapt at any moment.

Surprise, as a concept in negotiation and decision-making, has long intrigued scholars across disciplines. While it’s not always treated as a standalone topic, it often appears in research on cognitive bias, strategic behavior, and emotional dynamics in negotiations.

So, what actually happens when the other side drops a bombshell - a sudden demand, a walkout - or pulls a fast one that leaves you in the lurch, with your jaw dropped, perplexed about what just happened, or stuck in the ruminations of why it even happened?

Surprises can, surprisingly, serve a purpose, and even a positive one at times. Here is a quick how-to guide when it comes to properly managing surprises--both making them and receiving them.

Scenario 1: You and your team fling a surprise at the other side

You can decide to change the course of any phase of the negotiation, interrupt a flow, make an irrational demand, or come back from a short pause with a different angle. However, you have to be prepared to deal with the consequences of that element of surprise. Will it help you reach your outcome? Will it speed up closure? Will it buy good will?Can it maintain the relationship with the other party?

‍Scenario 2: Your counterpart surprises you

It may be your counterparty that decides to do or say the unexpected. How you react is important.

For instance, a party might unexpectedly withdraw from the table, reveal a previously undisclosed stakeholder, or present a radically different proposal at the last minute.

Scenario 3: The surprise comes from neither party seated at the table, but rather an unanticipated, say, external force from the marketplace like a sudden market shift, perhaps a third-party disruption, a macroeconomic crisis, public regulation or whatever else that affects both sides

What do you do? What do you both do?

The answers for all 3 are quite similar.When the script flies out the window, that’s when real negotiation begins.Beyond preparation and psychological grounding, here are concrete, actionable tactics you can recommend when someone gets blindsided in mid-negotiation:

Use tactical pausing: This buys time, projects control and prevents reactive responses. Take a deliberate pause--sip water, jot a note, or simply breathe. Silence can be powerful and unsettling (in a good way).

Reframe the surprise as a signal: This shifts the mindset from threat to opportunity. Ask yourself or your team: “What does this reveal about their priorities or strategy?” Treat the curveball as data, not disruption.

Ask clarifying questions: These types of questions slow the pace and redirects control. Use open-ended questions like: “Can you walk me through how you arrived at that?”; “What’s driving this shift?”; “How do you see this impacting our agreement?”

Segment the issue: This tactic prevents the overwhelm and isolates the surprise. Break the curve ball into manageable parts. For example: “Let’s focus on the pricing first, then we’ll revisit the delivery terms.”

Call a strategic timeout:  A well-timed break allows regrouping without appearing evasive. Say something like: “This is a significant shift. Let’s take a short break to reassess and come back with a clear response.”

Anchor to regain control:Anchoring resets the negotiation frame. Introduce a strong counter-anchor or reference point. For example: “Given our previous agreement on X, this new proposal seems misaligned. Let’s revisit the baseline.”

Name the emotion (without escalating):Mentioning or describing the emotion composedly defuses tension and shows emotional intelligence. Calmly acknowledge the shift: “This seems like a major change--are you feeling pressure from your side?”

Revisit shared goals:  Using the “we” and not the “I” pronouns recenters the conversation on mutual interests. Remind them: “We both want a sustainable partnership--let’s find a way to integrate this new element without derailing that.”

 When the surprise comes barreling at both parties, pausing the negotiation can work--but only if both sides recognize the value of recalibrating rather than reacting. This combines emotional intelligence and strategic thinking. It adds a layer of complexity and urgency. Pausing creates space to assess the new landscape, recalibrate expectations, and avoid reactive decisions that could derail long-term value.To sum up, when facing surprise, these principles will help: don’t react emotionally, return to your strategy, and buy time if needed.

1. Risk Reassessment

External shocks often expose hidden vulnerabilities. A pause allows both sides to reassess their risk tolerance and renegotiate terms with greater clarity.

2. Information Asymmetry

When surprises originate outside the room, one party may have more insight than the other. Taking a pause helps level the informational playing field.

3. Preserving Trust

In volatile moments, rushing forward can fracture trust. A strategic pause signals respect, patience, and a long-term commitment to shared success.

4. Scenario Planning

Rather than freezing, the pause can be used to model multiple outcomes--best case, worst case, and most likely--so both parties are better prepared.‍

5. Leadership Opportunity‍

How parties respond to external shocks reveals leadership character. Those who pause to listen, adapt, and lead through uncertainty often emerge stronger.

 All of these tactics aren’t just defensive--they’re strategic. They turn surprise into an opportunity for leverage and clarity.  

The Schranner Concept

By recognizing the value of surprise, negotiators can shift from a reactive stance to a proactive, prepared mindset, one that sees uncertainty not as a threat, but as a strategic lever.

The Schranner Concept book byMatthias Schranner touches on the topic of surprises, though not always explicitly labeled as such. Schranner emphasizes the importance of preparation, conflict readiness, and team roles, all of which are designed to help negotiators handle unexpected developments with composure and strategic clarity.

Here is how surprises are addressed within the framework:

• Preparation as defense: Schranner insists that thorough preparation is the best way to neutralize surprises. Knowing your own position, the opponent’s likely tactics, and fallback options reduces vulnerability.
• Conflict readiness: Surprises often emerge from conflict     escalation. Schranner encourages negotiators to embrace conflict rather than avoid it, which means being mentally and strategically ready for     curveballs.
• Role clarity: The concept defines specific roles within a negotiation team (e.g., Decision Maker, Commander, Negotiator, Expert), which helps distribute attention and manage unexpected developments more effectively.
• Scenario planning: While not always labeled as “surprise management,” Schranner’s approach includes planning for deviations from the expected negotiation path--essentially preparing for surprises.

This model is a negotiation framework that doesn't just teach tactics but also builds resilience against the unpredictable.

Additional works

Besides Matthias Schranner, other business thought leaders have also examined the role of surprises in negotiation. For example, ChrisVoss, in his book Never Split the Difference, uses surprise as a tactical tool to gain leverage. Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow, explores how surprise disrupts intuitive decision-making. The work by Marc Helmold, Tracy Dathe, and Florian Hummel, Successful Negotiations, includes psychological tools for handling unexpected turns.

On the academic and research side, the topic has also been explored. Chia-Jung Tsay and Max Bazerman wrote about decision-making and surprise effects. Roger Fisher and William Ury’s Getting to Yes book touches on handling unexpected moves and tactics, and Deborah Kolb addressed the issue in her Negotiating at Work, where she explored how surprise can be used to shift power dynamics.

References

“When Surprise Is a Good Negotiation Tactic” by Roi Ben-Yehuda and Tania Luna;  WhenSurprise Is a Good Negotiation Tactic

Never Split the Difference byChris Voss NeverSplit The Difference | The Black Swan Group

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, Daniel Kahneman Thinking, Fast And Slow : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming :Internet Archive

Marc Helmold, Tracy Dathe, and Florian Hummel - SuccessfulNegotiations Successful Negotiations: Best-in-Class Recommendations forBreakthrough Negotiations | SpringerLink

Chia-Jung Tsay and Max Bazerman Professor Max Bazerman Publishes a Working Paper: "A Decision-Making Perspective toNegotiation: A Review of the Past and a Look into the Future" - PON -Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School

Roger Fisher and William Ury’s Getting to Yes Amazon.com:Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In: 9780143118756: Fisher,Roger, Ury, William L., Patton, Bruce: Books

Negotiating at Work byDeborah Kolb About - Negotiating at Work