Dad’s Negotiation Lessons
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!...
How to Negotiate a Raise: Part Two
The two most expensive letters in the English alphabet are “O.K.,” which is how many respond when offered a raise. After all, many don’t want to appear greedy or unappreciative by asking for more – even when you deserve it. It can also be scary, as there is always a...
3 Business Startup Negotiation Lessons
About 15 years ago I started a negotiation software company and began a series of some of my most professionally challenging negotiations. Failing at any of them could have marked the death knell of the company. Here are three lessons I learned from those start-up...
How to Negotiate Better in 2021 — Lessons from 2020
As we put 2020 in our rearview mirror, here’s my annual list of lessons learned and a reminder to put these strategies into practice in 2021. You won’t get better results unless you implement them. Each guiding principle also has a link to my column with more...
Top 5 Tips for Negotiating with Family During Quarantine
My wife says I’m driving her crazy. I’ve been cooped up working from home and off the road since mid-March, a common predicament during this pandemic. I typically travel around 10 days a month doing in person keynotes and training programs. Not now. It’s all online. ...
Power Strategies to Counter Racial Discrimination in Negotiations
The murder of George Floyd in my hometown of Minneapolis – which I always considered a bastion of tolerance – “Minnesota nice,” right? – recently led to an interesting discussion I had about racial discrimination with a female lawyer friend who grew...
Email Negotiations Do’s and Don’ts
I couldn’t believe it. Years ago, I was practicing law at a large firm and I used to regularly get research assignments – by email – from the partner whose office was right next to mine. He couldn’t even deign to walk a few feet to give me the assignment...