Making publicly acceptable decisions in a healthy democracy almost always comes down to building consensus through some kind of negotiation. And negotiation is a skill that most people can develop and improve. It starts with learning everything you can about the needs of whomever you’re negotiating with, getting the no’s – the deal killers – on the table as soon as you can, and building rapport by mirroring and labeling the feelings of the people you’re negotiating with. You can help people come to their own conclusions with the right questions, and the right questions require understanding people’s emotions, finding your voice, and asking for the answers you’re looking for.