Entries tagged: negotiation

Before you take your seat at the negotiation table, invest some time at the breakfast table. That’s the takeaway from research conducted at Cornell University (reported by the Harvard Program on Negotiation) that suggested people feel a greater sense of entitlement when they are hungry vs. when they are not. (The study defined “entitlement” as […]

pow·er /ˈpou(ə)r/ noun the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events Negotiation research is a real thing – and this evolving area of study is fascinating. Recent research has revealed not only some of the key ways that channeling power makes negotiators more effective, but also […]

When handling an important negotiation, the parties must take it seriously and be prepared. This approach is a must whether you’re negotiating a small business deal or about to engage in diplomatic negotiations. As I’ve previously discussed on LI News Radio 103.9 with Jay Oliver, the United States needs to carefully handle its sit-down with […]

Anyone can learn the mechanics of negotiation – preparation, active listening, and knowing your BATNA, to name a few – to become a good negotiator. But it’s not enough to be good. Mastering emotions is the key to effective negotiation and involves not only understanding and taking control of your own emotions, but also those […]

As Stephen R. Covey’s groundbreaking business book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People approaches its 30th birthday, I still find it to be more relevant than ever, particularly with regard to becoming a more effective negotiator. Rediscover this classic – or get to know it for the first time – when preparing for your […]

“Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow,” or even “why put off to tomorrow what you can put off to the day after tomorrow,” go some oft-quoted and well-loved maxims about procrastination. I’ve pulled as many all-nighters as the next guy, but when it comes to negotiation, it’s preparation – not procrastination […]

There are many myths in negotiation.  Among them: effective negotiators are born, not made.  Experience is all you need to be a good negotiator.  The strong negotiator never exhibits empathy.  And perhaps the most stubborn myth?  That having a Plan B makes you weak and gives you an easy out, preventing you from ever achieving […]

The Chinese general and military strategist Sun Tzu famously wrote that the “supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”  Using empathy at the negotiation table is the modern-day embodiment of this strategy. A fundamental human need is to feel accepted, validated, and understood by others.  This reality means that negotiation strategy […]

It’s always a source of pride and amazement for me how applicable the lessons I learned in the Marine Corps are to so many aspects of civilian life.   Indeed, many of the eleven Marine Corps leadership principles lend themselves perfectly to preparing for and engaging in a negotiation, another one of my favorite subjects.  Before […]

Donald Trump holds himself out as a master negotiator and “dealmaker,” frustrated by the gridlock of Washington politics. Boy, did he pass up a great opportunity to demonstrate these so-called skills with his insistence that Betsy DeVos become the next Secretary of Education.  The same can be said for Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer – […]