Negotiation Columns & Blogs

The New York Times reported today that Iran told the International Atomic Energy Agency that it would not accept a plan to send to Russia its stock of low-enriched uranium (which it could use to build a nuclear weapon) in exchange for fuel rods only usable in its...

Former President Bill Clinton met yesterday with North Korean leader Kim Jung-il seeking the release of two imprisoned American journalists. Fortunately, he was successful and the journalists have now been reunited with their families in the United States. In light of...

The Financial Times reported this week that AIG has reopened talks with MetLife for the sale of AIG's American Life Insurance Company (Alico) subsidiary. Reportedly, AIG hopes to raise "more than $15 billion" to help repay the $80 billion in bailout funds it has...

The Financial Times reported this week that AIG has reopened talks with MetLife for the sale of AIG's American Life Insurance Company (Alico) subsidiary. Reportedly, AIG hopes to raise "more than $15 billion" to help repay the $80 billion in bailout funds it has...

Effectively and efficiently gathering strategic information is a critical but often underutilized part of the negotiation preparation process. Here are my Top Ten Information-Gathering Tactics: 1. Leave your ego at the door 2. Be sincere 3. Establish trust 4. List...

Data Domain, a data storage company, is currently the target of an aggressive bidding war between NetApp and EMC. Data Domain is the industry leader in its product niche and both suitors seek to use their larger resources to gain control of this growing new market....

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 make of a worst-case...

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 versus his ability to stay...

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 "fairness" of their positions....

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...