Negotiating with the Most Difficult People of All

Recent research illuminates the performance of people with “dark” personality traits at the bargaining table.

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Article Excerpt

Have you ever found yourself negotiating with someone who seemed entirely ruthless and lacking in empathy? From time to time, we may end up in the deeply unsettling position of negotiating with someone who appears to have no concern for us or our outcomes.

People who are antisocial, lack empathy, and habitually engage in impulsive, manipulative, … Read Negotiating with the Most Difficult People of All

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IN THIS ISSUE
  • Negotiating the (seemingly) impossible
    In negotiation, success sometimes hinges on our ability to convince someone that our proposed solution would benefit him more than the option he favors.
  • Negotiating with the Most Difficult People of All 
    Have you ever found yourself negotiating with someone who seemed entirely ruthless and lacking in empathy? From time to time, we may end up in the deeply unsettling position of negotiating with someone who appears to have no concern for us or our outcomes.
  • Negotiation Research You Can Use: Online auction buyers undervalue products sold by women
    In our last issue, we described research showing that sellers with brown skin get worse deals in eBay auctions than sellers with light skin (results based on photos of sellers holding up items for sale). Now a new study finds a similar bias against products sold by women on eBay.
  • Negotiation in the News: In Oregon standoff, allies of occupiers broker a resolution                                                                                                                                                                                         How can you end a conflict with someone who doesn’t trust you? Consider bringing in someone the other party does trust to mediate the dispute, as the FBI and the occupiers of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon did to promote a peaceful end to their standoff this past February.
IN FUTURE ISSUES

Encourage honest behavior

Negotiating the (seemingly) impossible

WHAT’S NEW

Learn how to deal with difficult people and problems in our three-day Negotiation and Leadership course in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Visit www.executive.pon.harvard.edu to find out more.

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