Adapted from an article first published in “Negotiation Newsletter”.

Sometimes negotiators get off on the wrong foot. Maybe you and your partner had different understanding of your meeting time, or one of you makes a statement that the other misinterprets. Such awkward moves at the beginning of an interaction can lead one party to question the other side’s motives.

In their research, … read more »

Adopted from “Without Conditions:  The Case for Negotiating With the Enemy” by Deepak Malhotra. is Associate Professor at Harvard Business School and a co-author of Negotiation Genius: How to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Brilliant Results at the Bargaining Table and Beyond.

For the full article, visit Foreign Affairs.

Diplomacy appears ready to make a comeback. The United States, after years of … read more »

“The Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School is a renowned source of expertise in the field,” reported the Boston Globe today in its story, “Iraq latest crucible for Harvard mediation.” Reporting on the work done by conflict resolution professionals at Conflict Management Group in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the report notes that “The blood not spilled in central Iraq was another … read more »

Recently, a local incident grew into a national dispute that seemed ripe for mediation. After being locked out of his home and forcing his way in, Henry Louis Gates, an African-American Harvard University professor, had a confrontation with Cambridge, Massachusetts police sergeant James Crowley and was arrested for disorderly conduct. In a press conference, President Obama said the Cambridge police … read more »

What if you were Henry Waxman?

Waxman, in case you haven’t been following the healthcare debate closely, is a man in the middle. The Democratic representative from California is chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and a famed Congressional dealmaker. As a key player in health reform, one of the most complex multi-party negotiations imaginable, Waxman must work through … read more »

As the controversy surrounding the arrest of Harvard Prof. Henry Louis Gates   heats up, the Wall Street Journal weighs in on Alternative Dispute Resolution.  Click here to read more… … read more »

Conflict within an organization can not only damage morale but also cut into productivity and ultimately profits. Once you recognize that there is ongoing conflict in your organization, how do you go about diagnosing the source? In his June 2004 article, “Divided, You’ll Fall: Managing Conflict Within the Ranks,” Lawrence Susskind describes the work done by the independent Consensus Building Institute … read more »

Alternative Dispute Resolution In-House: Mediation, Arbitration, or Med-Arb?

When faced with an in-house conflict, alternative dispute resolution or ADR can be invaluable to managers. The three most common ADR techniques are: mediation, arbitration, and med-arb. However, it can often be difficult to determine which method is best for your particular situation.

Here are four possible objectives you may have as a leader … read more »

Conflict within companies can be very costly, both in time and resources. Alternative Dispute Resolution, or ADR, may be helpful as you consider ways in which you can transition from conflict to productivity within your own organization.

The three most common ADR techniques are: mediation, arbitration, and med-arb. During mediation a neutral third party facilitates a discussion between disputants with the … read more »