We’ve all heard that “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Originally penned by Scottish poet Robert Burns in his 1785 poem “To a Mouse,” this phrase recognizes that even the most carefully developed plans can end in disaster if and when the unexpected...
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...
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 recently interviewed several real estate agents in person to determine the best fit to help sell my mom’s condo. Since negotiation comprises one of real estate agents’ core competencies and our agent would be our front-line negotiator with buyers and their agents, I...
We had a round table growing up where the six of us sat for family dinners. Four kids plus our parents. And I remember discussing this years ago with my parents, who said they liked the round table as it created an environment in which each of us felt that we could be...
“It’s your tone,” my wife said to me after I apologized. What did she mean? She didn’t feel like I meant it when I said it. “Ugh,” I thought to myself. I did mean it, but it doesn’t really help much if she doesn’t believe it. What’s the problem here? We’ve all...
Shortly after being named Disney’s CEO, Bob Iger negotiated peace with then disgruntled and former board member Roy Disney (Walt’s nephew). Roy had just sued Disney over Iger’s selection and it easily could have derailed Iger’s effort to lead Disney in a bold new...
Paul Eckstein, one of the best litigators I know, told me years ago that his firm would sometimes assign a separate lawyer to try to negotiate and settle a big case in addition to its trial counsel. They would have a “Department of War and a Department of Peace,” he...
