Placing Trust in Others

When it comes to trusting others, negotiators often rely on their gut instincts.

Recent studies indicate, however, that extraneous factors can sway such judgments.

For example, Michael Kosfeld and other University of Zurich researchers introduced a twist in a classic trust game in which subjects must decide on how much money to invest when … Read More 

Thanks to leadership from the Middle East Negotiation Initiative (MENI) of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, a series of negotiation skills trainings was recently provided to eleventh grade students from Jewish and Arab schools in Israel.  These two-day workshops, co-sponsored by the Program on Negotiation and the Amal Network and funded by … Read More 

By following these tips in your next negotiation, you’ll improve your chances of meeting everyone’s interests.

Before you sit down at the bargaining table, imagine a wide-range of options and packages, including some that may seem far-fetched.
When talks begin, remember that getting down to business too quickly can stand in the way of building trust.
Emphasize to … Read More 

Consider the first-ever televised debates between the U.S. presidential candidates in 1960.

Studies of the audience after the first of four debates revealed that in the eyes of television viewers, charismatic and confident John F. Kennedy was clearly victorious over the sullen Richard Nixon, who had a five o’clock shadow and was also underweight and pallid … Read More 

Successful professionals understand the value of self-promotion – helping others see what you’ve accomplished and what you can achieve for them. … Read More 

How can you uncover additional value, make useful trades, and put together a package that exceeds your party’s expectations? Here are four value-creating moves that all negotiators should add to their toolkit. … Read More 

The offices of the Program on Negotiation will be closed from December 24 through January 1, 2013. … Read More 

Here’s a recap of some of the most interesting and challenging negotiations of 2012. … Read More 

In any negotiation, you’re likely to have information about the other party or about the deal (industry facts, economic health, new products, and so on) that the other party might not know you have. … Read More 

How can we avert a full-throttle drive over the fiscal cliff? Despite some promising signs of movement on both sides of the aisle, the current negotiation approach – positional bargaining – is bound to bring us dangerously close to the edge. … Read More