Adapted from “Honey or Vinegar?”, first published in the Negotiation newsletter.

Who brings out the best in us: someone nice or someone nasty? According to a recent study by Gerben A. van Kleef and colleagues of the University of Amsterdam, we may be more generous toward angry people than toward happy people.

In the first two experiments of the study, participants … read more »

Adapted from “Negotiators Lie,” by Maurice E. Schweitzer (professor, University of Pennsylvania), first published in the Negotiation newsletter.

In all types of negotiations and across all phases of the process, people can sometimes misrepresent or fail to tell the truth. Individual negotiators lie with the hope of improving their own outcomes. When negotiating his salary with the Cranbury, N.J.–based pharmaceutical marketing … read more »

Adapted from “View Your Counterpart as an Agent,” first published in the Negotiation newsletter.

Looking for yet another way to build your power at the negotiating table? Examine the incentives of your counterpart—and then consider whether they align with those of the group she represents.
In most business negotiations, notes Harvard professor Guhan Subramanian, your counterpart is acting as her organization’s … read more »

Adapted from “Self-Analysis and Negotiation,” first published in the Negotiation newsletter.

“Separate the people from the problem,” advises the bestselling negotiation text “Getting to Yes”. That’s certainly good counsel when tempers flare and bargaining descends into ego battles, but it’s a mistake to ignore the psychological crosscurrents in negotiation. Unless they are addressed, a deal may never be reached.
Expert mediator Christopher … read more »