I recently watched the movie “Bridge of Spies” in which Tom Hanks, playing an American lawyer, negotiated the release of a U.S. spy pilot shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960 and a U.S. student unlawfully detained in East Germany in exchange for a convicted...
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley recently sparked an uproar within the Biden Administration and strained U.S.-Ukrainian relations when he suggested that the potential stalemate in the Ukraine-Russian War provides a “window of opportunity for negotiation.”...
I wrote a column in 2011 entitled “In Person Talks Often Best Option” for The Arizona Republic. Given the timeliness of this subject as many CFOs and others contemplate the money saved with employees Zooming from home and staying away from airports, I thought I would...
“Should I take the deal? I don’t want any regrets. It seems great, but I could be leaving a lot on the table. What should I do?” I get this question a lot. How should you decide? 1. Does it satisfy your fundamental goals and interests? Go back to the...
Almost 30 years ago, I was sitting in my office when a senior partner at the law firm stuck his head in my door and asked if I wanted to join him that day in judging a negotiation competition at Arizona State University’s (ASU’s) College of Law. A senior associate was...
NFL star quarterback Kyler Murray recently signed a $230.5 million, five-year contract extension with the Arizona Cardinals. On its face, this deal appears great for Murray – making him the second highest paid quarterback in the league behind only the Green Bay...
Congress passed the first significant gun control legislation last week in nearly three decades, despite many previous efforts to get something done. What happened in the negotiations that led to this, and how can we apply these lessons to our own negotiations?...
“Our folks don’t think about the sales process as a negotiation. They think the negotiation is just the back-and-forth at the end. This causes problems. How can we reset our culture so they consider the entire effort a negotiation, from their first contact with a...
My Dad recently passed away at 91. He taught me a ton about life and negotiation. Here are my five biggest negotiation takeaways from his over 60 years of negotiating as a lawyer, political and community activist, and father. 1. Set Aggressive Goals and Go For It!...
