All posts in the ‘ Negotiation Strategy ’ Category

If you’ve been reading for a while you know that I’m sort of obsessed with you getting, using and sharing information when you negotiate.

Interest based negotiation is only effective when you know what one another’s true interests in the deal are.  You can only know what those interests are if you have information.

So how do we get more information?  By asking questions.… Read More

Explaining the more difficult aspects of negotiation strategy is difficult and often boring.  But Victoria Pynchon over at Settle it Now manages to consistently make it accessible and entertaining.

Go check out her recent post on negotiations where she discusses what to do if you’re starting from a position of little to no power.  The strategy is called 3D negotiation and involves systematically changing the … Read More

I gave a training on negotiation a few weeks ago and in preparation found myself flipping through Getting to “Yes!” again.  Written by Roger Fisher and my sometimes negotiation boyfriend William Ury, Getting to “Yes!” was originally published in 1981.  It remains one of the very best books you can read about interest based negotiation, and if you haven’t read it, set aside an … Read More

Have I had a week, let me tell you.  I joined the lovely Ms. Meconis at MoCCA last week.  We managed to make a time of it and stuff as much as we possibly could into five days in NYC.  There was silly theatre, engaging art and enlivening cab rides in abundance!

In between chatting with folks at the fest, I wrote a few new … Read More

If you haven’t read the full text of the speech President Obama gave at Notre Dame this past weekend, do yourself a favor and go check it out.  It is not only a beautiful speech, thoughtful, compassionate, humble and humorous, it underscores for me, yet again, what an accomplished negotiator we have hanging out in the White House these days.

Negotiation is problem solving.  … Read More

I’ve been reminded a number of times in the last week that people Don’t Like Lawyers.

This confounds me.

No, seriously, it does.  I understand that people usually need lawyers during rough portions of their life, but I’ve rarely heard as many jokes about oncologists as I hear about lawyers.

And yes, there are lawyers that are jerks.  But there are also kittens who are … Read More

Shockingly, one of the things they don’t really teach you in law school is how to negotiate.  They sort of expect that you know how to do it and that if you don’t, you’ll learn fast enough once you’re kicked out of the nest.

Looking back at my first year as a lawyer, I’m kind of amazed at some of the things I tried in … Read More

‘Tis the season for questions.

I am a big fan of asking questions during a negotiation.  As a means of gathering information, asking questions is about 10 times easier than being imprinted with the skills of a covert spy, breaking into the NSA and stealing a planted file, all while running in high heels.  (er, “spoiler.”)

But not all questions are created … Read More