“I just want what’s fair and reasonable,” a friend said in the midst of his divorce. “That’s not too much to ask, is it?” “Of course not,” I replied. “The key here, though, is how to determine what’s fair and reasonable. I suspect you have a very different perception...
“I only have about 30 minutes to strategically plan for this negotiation. And I know I should spend more time planning, but I have a ton going on right now. What should I do?” I get this question a lot. We are all busy and time-pressed. Given this, here is my...
Does success at your job require top-notch negotiation skills? Are you in sales, purchasing/procurement, business development or customer service? Are you a lawyer, business consultant, executive, investment banker, or private equity partner? Does your job require you...
We recently solicited bids to repaint our house from three residential painters/painting companies, all of whom came recommended by friends or family. We also requested bids for an upcoming home renovation. (Yes – our house needs some work!). Despite having gone...
Our son recently interviewed for internships this summer (he’s a Northwestern University junior double majoring in computer science and psychology). It got me thinking about one of the most consequential negotiations of our lives, our first real career opportunity....
Like millions of others, I have been amazed at the resources and power that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has brought to everyone in so many fields. And while some legitimately feel threatened by this ongoing revolutionary change (and which I partially address in my...
He rejected our tip. I was shocked. I’ve never had a tip returned. He had carried several pieces of our heavy luggage up four narrow flights of stairs to his Airbnb, so he deserved it. But he gave it back. Why? He said he was already fairly compensated just by our...
We’ve all heard the phrase “What goes around comes around.” If you treat someone badly, the thought is, they will turn and – eventually – treat you badly too. Crucially, this presumes that you will have some contact and relationship with them in the future. This...
I was surprised when this agent said he was not interested in listing my mom’s condo after he learned I was meeting other agents. He said he was pretty busy and the condo’s value – and his commission based on it – was just not worth his time. I told him I understood....
