The A.I.G. bonus payout spectacle reminds me of the importance of considering the pros and cons of going public in a negotiation. Why go public? 1. To influence the decision makers By holding public hearings, Congress is exerting pressure on the A.I.G. executives to...
This article in today’s New York Times about “the life that you could swap for the one that you were leading” caught my eye. The author summarizes the new Plan B for those impacted by the economic slowdown as sometimes being “the best you can...
Arizona Cardinals fans, still basking in the afterglow of their team’s Super Bowl appearance, are closely following the negotiation between the team and their star quarterback, Kurt Warner. In a recent article on Azcentral.com, several negotiation lessons shine...
Will President-elect Barack Obama keep his BlackBerry once he assumes office? In an interview last week, President-elect Obama stated, “I’m clinging to my BlackBerry. I don’t know that I’ll win.” At issue are potential security concerns...
In a recent CNN.com article about how couples should negotiate spending cuts in response to an unfavorable change in their economic circumstances, consumer finance expert Dayana Yochim recommends couples “approach this like partners, not adversaries. Your goal...
Many lessons can be learned from the negotiation over the potential bailout of the U.S. automakers. Here are three. 1. Do the “Standards Dance.” Parties in sophisticated negotiations often seek “independent” standards to justify the...
The Bernie Madoff scandal reminds me of the important role trust plays in negotiating. As I have written before, trust is hard to build and easy to destroy. Once lost, trust is extremely difficult to restore. Because of this, value and jealously protect your own...
As 2009 quickly approaches, let me first wish you a very Happy New Year! With mortgage interest rates recently nearing record lows, I, like many others, decided to refinance my home. After my mortgage broker locked in the best rate she could find and started the...
President-elect Barack Obama’s job interview with the American public is over. And now the pundits are analyzing how and why he won. As they do so, let’s take their conclusions about some of his negotiation-related qualities and consider how he might use...
