Adapted from “How Much Should You Trust?” by Iris Bohnet (professor, Harvard Kennedy School) and Stephan Meier (professor, Columbia Business School), first published in the Negotiation newsletter.

What’s the best way to cope with a fellow negotiator who has betrayed your trust? Ignoring the problem is rarely the best solution.

When you distrust someone, you’re forced to design trustworthy systems to police … read more »

Adapted from “To Break an Impasse, Loosen Up,” by Guhan Subramanian (professor, Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School), first published in the Negotiation newsletter.

Imagine that you and your family have moved to a new town. You’re living in a month-to-month rental and have finally found the perfect house to buy. Unfortunately, the seller is being unreasonable. The house is … read more »

In her article Mastering the Art of Making a Deal, Valerie Monroe consults Professor Daniel Shapiro for advice on negotiation. The article chronicles Monroe’s attempt to negotiate all of her transactions over the course of a day. Monroe references Beyond Reason, by Professor Shapiro and Professor Roger Fisher as well as William Ury’s book Getting Past “No.” To read the … read more »

PON Chair, Professor Robert Mnookin was featured last night on the  PBS NewsHour. Watch the clip on PBS.org by clicking here.

To learn more about Professor Mnookin’s recent book, “Bargaining with the Devil: When to Negotiate, When to Fight,” click here. … read more »

PON Chair, Professor Robert Mnookin will be featured on the PBS NewsHour tonight discussing his recent book, “Bargaining with the Devil: When to Negotiate, When to Fight.”

To find your local PBS schedule and channel, click here and enter your zip code.

To read more about “Bargaining with the Devil,” click here. … read more »

Adapted from “Negotiation, Envy, and Lies,” first published in the Negotiation newsletter.

Negotiation researchers have refuted the widespread belief that some people are honest negotiators and others are not. Rather, because people respond strongly to their environment, ethical standards often vary depending on the context. For example, many negotiators strive to tell the truth—unless they believe their counterpart is lying to … read more »

Adapted from “When They Slice the Deal Too Thin,” by Michael Wheeler (professor, Harvard Business School), first published in the Negotiation newsletter.

Suppose that, after months of negotiation, you reach a detailed agreement with a customer and shake hands. A week later, the customer’s procurement officer calls to tell you that there have to be some “revisions” to the deal. They … read more »

Adapted from “Do a 3-D Audit of Barriers to Agreement,” by James K. Sebenius (professor, Harvard Business School), first published in the Negotiation newsletter.

When talks stall, it’s tempting to jump to conclusions: “They’re being unreasonable.” “We’re not communicating well.” “We’re in a weak position.” Sometimes, however, setup barriers are to blame—that is, you don’t have the right people at the … read more »

On September 27, 2010, Nobel Peace Prize recipient (2008) and former President of Finland (1994-2000) Martti Ahtisaari will be honored with the 2010 Great Negotiator Award by the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School and the Future of Diplomacy Project. Martti Ahtisaari will participate in a faculty led discussion in Spangler Auditorium at Harvard Business School from 1:30-5:00 pm.

This … read more »

Adapted from “Does Power Corrupt in Negotiation?” First published in the Negotiation newsletter.

How does power affect negotiators? In a study of hundreds of pairs of negotiators, researchers Elizabeth A. Seeley of Amherst College and Wendi Gardner and Leigh L. Thompson of Northwestern University examined this question using a simulation called “Viking Investments” (written by Len Greenhalgh).

In this simulation, one member … read more »

Adapted from “Should You Get the Kinks Out?” by Ian Larkin (professor, Harvard Business School), first published in the Negotiation newsletter.

You may have heard about the power of contingent contracts in negotiation. As an example, imagine that a supplier has proposed you pay a bonus of 10% if the fault rate for its products is less than 3%, a bonus … read more »