(above, Charles Fincher's illustrative cartoon)  

I was talking to an attorney friend this morning about an upcoming mediation in a complex commercial case.  Lots and lots of $$$$$ at issue.  Last week -- a week before the mediation is set to convene --  his team scored a pre-trial victory on an eight figure issue.

If I'd had time to think about it, I'd have given him the mediation strategy advice he was already suggesting to himself.

DON'T GLOAT.

Aside from your mother's advice to never be a "bad winner" and your own certain knowledge that your shiny new pre-trial ruling can always be reversed, stifling your gloat-reflex will have at least two beneficial effects on your upcoming negotiation.  

1. your opponents' reflexive desire to retaliate by launching an all-out thermo-nuclear-legal attack will be quieted, if not eliminated; and,  
2. your opponents' ability to use their higher "executive" brain functions during the upcoming negotiations will be increased, soothing the fear and anger flight-fight mechanism of the  brain's reptilian amygdala, which, when triggered, overrides the sophisticated "executive" brain functions necessary to a successful high-stakes negotiation.

So, my friend had it right on the money this morning.  The hardest thing about the upcoming negotiation will be not to gloat.  

Make "not gloating" the center of your strategy, I replied, and you'll settle that multi-bazillion dollar case and make your corporate client truly happy.