“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...
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....
I am not a huge fan of Disneyland and Disneyworld. My wife and kids love them, but I hate long lines and just don’t love rollercoasters and its other rides (largely because I don’t feel great after and it takes me a while to recover). But I do admire how Disney runs...
The personal threats, vitriol and escalatory social media tantrums flying between former bromance buddies Elon Musk and Donald Trump last week – and their apparent truce this week – got me thinking about how friends should effectively communicate and negotiate with...
There’s one main negotiation reason procurement professionals/buyers send out Requests for Proposals (RFPs) – to create leverage by developing better Plan Bs to their Plan A (which is not buying or just sticking with its incumbent). Of course, sellers also seek...
Years ago, a potential client asked me to help him negotiate and sell some commercial real estate in Phoenix. After he agreed to my fee, I sent him my standard two-page consulting contract to review and sign. Several days later, he suggested we just do this on a...
