I recently contacted a landscape designer to get a bid on our backyard and he came out to explore our thoughts. After checking everything out, he said he would put together his suggestions. He called a few days later and asked me to come to his nursery so he could...
No one is perfect. And everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes these mistakes are minor, but other times we really mess up. It’s human. Of course, companies mess up, too. So, what can we do, especially if you and/or your company need to repair the relationship and rebuild...
Several recent negotiation training attendees asked me how negotiations differ when you’re across the table from a company or individual based in another country or culture. I pointed them to a 2004 column I wrote entitled “Cross-Cultural Negotiations Present Special...
New York Knicks’ superstar NBA guard Jalen Brunson reportedly just took $112 million less in compensation than he could get on the open market so he could stay with the Knicks. Wow! Of course, he’s still getting $156 million over four years! And NBA superstar...
“I don’t like it when procurement gets involved and takes over from our client in the General Counsel’s office,” this large law firm partner told me recently. “They don’t recognize our true value and just focus incessantly on price, like we’re a commodity. We’re...
I sold children’s shoes in high school at Dayton’s Department Store, and we took everything back – no questions asked. The shoes could have been worn for a day or a year. Dayton’s policy was clear: the customer is always right on returns Of course, some took advantage...
My Dad knew a ton of things. But how to fix stuff around the house was not in his “toolkit.” 😊As a result, I knew very little about home repair issues when I bought my first house. But over the years I’ve asked questions, listened carefully, and I now recognize many...
I’m not much of a handyman. In fact, my father-in-law warns me all the time to stop overtightening everything. And he watches me with an eagle eye whenever I use any of his tools (and he has a veritable hardware store in his garage). It’s just not my skillset....
I recently led a negotiation ethics seminar with an expert panel that included: the Dallas Mavericks’ General Manager and President of Basketball Operations, a U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals judge, and a large law firm partner. Since they collectively have over 150...