This week, I released a new episode of The Resolution Room featuring the remarkable Dee Madigan, advertising executive, political campaign strategist, regular media commentator, and the recently announced winner of the B&T 2025 Most Powerful Women in Media Award.
If you’ve watched Gruen, Sunrise, or any number of political panels and commentary programs, you would encountered Dee’s sharp insights and her ability to slice through complexity with a mix of clarity, humour, and hard-won expertise.
But you may wonder: What does political campaigning and advertising have to do with lawyers, dispute resolution, or negotiation?
As it turns out - more than you may initially think.
We are all more emotional than we like to think
A central theme of my conversation with Dee was the emotional nature of decision-making. We like to imagine that our choices, whowe buy from, who we vote for, who we hire, are driven by careful rational assessment.
But as Dee reminds us, and as behavioural science confirms ,the decision to buy is an emotional one first. The rational explanation isusually a post-hoc justification for what the heart decided moments earlier.
And this applies just as much to professional services as itdoes to consumer goods or political parties.
When someone engages a lawyer, mediator, or other advisor,they may tell themselves they are choosing on the basis of expertise ortechnical competence. But beneath the surface, they are also responding toemotional cues:
These emotional drivers are often far more influential thanthe rational ones.
This has significant implications for how professionalspresent themselves, build rapport, and influence outcomes. It also underscoresthe deep humanity at the core of negotiation and conflict resolution.
Loss Aversion: Why Fear Speaks Loudest
Another powerful theme from our discussion was loss aversion- the well-documented psychological principle that humans are far moremotivated by what they might lose than by what they might gain.
This explains a lot about political advertising. Negativeads work - not because we like them, but because they trigger our most primalinstinct: avoid loss.
I am not a personal fan of negative campaigning, but Dee explained its logic clearly. In a political system with compulsory voting (where a large proportion of the electorate is disengaged or disinterested) the challenge is not merely persuasion but activation, getting people to care, even briefly, about a choice they would prefer not to spend time thinking about.
Fear remains one of the most potent activating emotions. Inan era of algorithm-driven media, where outrage, fear, and grievance outperformnuance - it’s no surprise that these emotions seem to increasingly dominate. Atopic for another day…
For those of us in negotiation and conflict resolution, loss aversion is crucial to understand. Parties will often fight harder to avoid perceived loss than to secure equivalent gain.
This shapes bargaining behaviour, risk assessment, and the emotional landscape of disputes.
Playing to your Strengths
Finally, Dee shared her reflections on leadership - particularly as a female leader in a highly public industry.
The valuable takeaway for me was that that success is not about conforming to traditional models but about designing environments where your unique strengths can flourish.
Great Conversation- thank you Dee. Episode Link below.
I regularly share short insights on mediation, negotiation and all things leadership. From how to optimise success in negotiations, to the skillset required to sustain high team performance and promote resilience. I share these video reflections, drawing from my experience both as a former leader in professional services and now as a mediator and leadership coach.
"Damien is an incredible Mediator. He is experienced, is always across the brief and has a depth of legal knowledge that can assist the parties to navigate even the most complex issues to reach a resolution. Damien is my first choice for any Mediation, especially for vulnerable plaintiff’s feeling overwhelmed by the process as they are immediately comforted by his affable and empathetic nature.”
Damien was engaged as an Executive Coach in our business to navigate a half-decade of poor habits, realign our leadership team and position us for a strategic exit.Facilitating an executive workshop was instrumental in resolving internal conflicts and realigning us to a collective focus on future opportunities.
I have especially appreciated your logical and calm approach to problem solving, and I have valued your methodical and composed demeanour in tackling complex issues. You have not only equipped me with effective strategies but also instilled a sense of confidence and clarity in my own decision making processes.
