There's no quicker way to reduce your career mobility in your organization than to engage in serious debate with peers or management, even if they are 'irrational.' Why not? You never know who is in their social network. So, the best choice is to completely avoid the discussion until they have a little less emotion. Not everyone's irrational behavior is purely irrational.

However, if you can't avoid it and have to argue with one of those irrational types, you can use the advice provided by Malhotra and Bazerman in their book Negotiation Genius: How to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Brilliant Results at the Bargaining Table and Beyond. They suggest a few reasons why someone may appear irrational in their argument.

Uninformed. We're not talking about those who argue for the sake of argument. This is a situation where they may not have enough information to support their argument but feel they are "pushed in a corner" or simply a case where they have incorrect information.

Solution: Take time to review all of the facts of the situation. This should provide an opportunity for any misinformation to surface. Once the ignorance is brought to light, it can be corrected and bring a proper resolution to the debate. The facts also have a tendency to remove emotion from the situation, further enhancing our abilities to think logically.

Hidden Constraints. Have you ever wondered why some organizations allow their star performers to be hired by competitors? Why wouldn't a company want to keep one of its best workers? Simply put, limits or constraints. Companies set caps for salaries on certain positions or are constrained by HR policies. Either way, unseen obstacles support their actions but appear to be quite confusing from those of us on the outside.

Solution: Don't assume everything is black and white. Business is usually done in shades of gray. Once you understand all of the facts, try to highlight barriers to the solutions. Helping others analyze their constraints to find ways around them is the best way to reduce the discussion from debate to discovery.

Hidden Interests. This is not to imply that others may have ulterior motives, it is simply the notion that they are driven by things you may not have identified. Consider a manager that receives a small bonus of $1500 in a private ceremony for performing well on his program. However, the reward seemed to do little to motivate him. He really desired a little public recognition from his peers since he never had received any. Then, when he had finally accomplished it, managers kept it a secret.

Solution: Never assume you know people interests. Take a genuine interest in their argument and find out why they feel what they do. It becomes much easier to reach a compromise when you know where they are coming from. Remember, it is highly unlikely that irrational behavior is driven by nothing. If you want to be a good negotiator, you have to be able to learn about those hidden factors that drive behavior. Once you learn it, it's much easier to get where you want to go.