Adapted from “Mediation in Transactional Negotiation,” first published in the Negotiation newsletter, July 2004.
We generally think of mediation as a dispute-resolution device. Federal mediators intervene when collective bargaining bogs down. Diplomats are sometimes called in to mediate conflicts between nations. So-called multidoor courthouses encourage litigants to mediate before incurring the costs—and risks—of going to trial.
Adapted from “Strength in Numbers: Negotiating as a Team,” by Elizabeth A. Mannix (professor, Cornell University), first published in the Negotiation newsletter, May 2005.
The widespread belief in “strength in numbers” suggests that having more players on your team should be a benefit, not a burden. But this belief can lead team members to underprepare … Read Get Ready for Team Talks 
In March 2011, Professor James Sebenius, Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, led a negotiation workshop for Jewish and Arab high school students in Tel Aviv, as part of a pilot program co-sponsored by the Program on Negotiation, with support from the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv. This innovative program offered three … Read More
Adapted from “The Enduring Power of Anchors,” first published in the Negotiation newsletter, October 2006.
In the Negotiation newsletter, we have reviewed the anchoring effect—the tendency for negotiators to be overly influenced by the other side’s opening bid, however arbitrary. When your opponent makes an inappropriate bid on your house, you’re nonetheless likely to begin searching … Read Anchors Away?
Adapted from “Disappointed by Results? Improve Accountability,” first published in the Negotiation newsletter, January 2009.
How satisfied are you with the outcomes that negotiators in your organization achieve? Most likely, you can think of a few successes worth crowing about, a few you’d like to sweep under the carpet, and many more that turned out just … Read How Accountable are Your Negotiators?
Adapted from “Lessons from Abroad: When Culture Affects Negotiating Style,” by Jeanne M. Brett (professor, Northwestern University) and Michele J. Gelfand (professor, University of Maryland), first published in the Negotiation newsletter, January 2005.
Imagine that you have identified a great opportunity to expand your business by negotiating a joint venture with another company. You need … Read Learn More from Your Proposals
Congratulations to Jessica Beess und Chrostin (HLS ’13), the 2011 Fisher/Sander Prize Winner, for her paper “Cross-Border Class Actions and Aggregate Dispute Resolution: Where We Are and How to Move Forward.”
This prize was established in 2007 by the Program on Negotiation in honor of Professors Roger Fisher, the Williston Professor of Law, Emeritus, and Frank … Read More
Max H. Bazerman (Jesse Isidor Straus Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School) and Dolly Chugh (Assistant Professor, Department of Management and Organizations, New York University Stern School of Business )
What causes even highly intelligent, focused professionals to miss glaring warning signs and render bad, risky or unethical decisions? In this article, the authors discuss … Read Decisions Without Blinders
Dr. Shula Gilad, Senior Fellow at the Program on Negotiation, recently helped launch an innovative new program for high school students in Israel. With support from the Office of Public Affairs of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, the Program on Negotiation co-sponsored three two-day workshops, which brought together a total of 180 Arab and … Read More
Adapted from “How Mood Affects Negotiator Trust,” first published in the Negotiation newsletter, September 2006.
In recent years, social psychologists have begun to explore connections among emotions, negotiation, and decision making. Negotiation contributor Jennifer S. Lerner of Carnegie Mellon University and her colleagues have identified two critical themes. First, they have studied the carryover of emotion … Read Sad Negotiators, Poor Outcomes?
Adapted from “How the Writers Got Back to Work,” first published in the Negotiation newsletter, May 2008.
When labor talks reach a stalemate, negotiators may be able to get back on track by avoiding extreme demands, thinking carefully about the other side’s point of view, negotiating in smaller groups, and enlisting the help of a neutral … Read Unlocking Labor Disputes
In a recent article published in the Washington Post, Dr. William Ury, co-founder of the Program on Negotiation, suggests that Republicans and Democrats hammering out a deal on the national debt ceiling could benefit from the experience of negotiators.
Professional negotiators know that certain tactics can backfire in tense situations. Issuing ultimatums, publicly criticizing your counterpart, … Read More
