One of the classic negotiating mistakes is failing to account for changing circumstances. By default, when trying to work out way through a negotiation, especially a conflict, we want to go back to where we were ‘before we got into this mess’ (status quo ante bellum, for those of us who like to use the […]
On Recruiting: Skills v Attributes
Which is easier: learning a skill or learning a behavior? Anyone with kids can tell you how difficult is it to teach someone to be diligent, honest, friendly, attentive to detail, ambitious, or any of a host of traits we hope to instill. Ever notice how some people seem to always be positive and willing […]
Conflict Management — An Organizational Challenge
I was asked to write an article on Conflict Resolution within organizations for the American Chamber of Commerce’s magazine here in the Dominican Republic. Here’s the link, I’m on page 15. A few caveats and observations: The article is in Spanish. If that makes it somewhat difficult to read, bear with me: it was difficult […]
Getting Past Yes, Revisited — 7 tips
In a previous post I spoke about negotiating past the agreement at hand. As promised, here are some things to consider: Does my counterpart’s opinion of myself or the deal matter to me? Unless you are buying a knickknack souvenir on vacation (in which case, feel free to skip this post altogether and enjoy your […]
Getting past Yes
Getting to Yes and Getting Past No are two books on negotiation I find myself recommending to clients, friends, family (and just about everyone else). They’re easy to follow, yet provide game-changing insights to the would-be negotiator. If you haven’t yet read them, amazon.com is your friend. I mention this because what I’m seeing more […]