Would you like to change the way others negotiate with you? One of the things I learned when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others.” – Nelson Mandela. If you have ever wished you could change the way that other people negotiate with you, then...

What role will negotiation teams and coalitions have in the World Health Organization (WHO) negotiating a global Pandemic Treaty? On May 3, 2021, the WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "The one recommendation that I believe will do most to strengthen both WHO and global health security is the...

"I’ve had enough of this situation. It’s been eight months, I can’t even count the thousands of hours of meetings, the days, the evenings, the nights, the weekends, without this advancing”. This quote comes from the Belgian Socialist Party Leader Paul Magenette. It would eventually take 653 days of negotiations for Mr...

According to the World Economic Forum’s 2018 ‘The Future of Jobs Report’, negotiation was ranked in the top ten skills needed by 2020. What makes this skill so valuable is the resultant ability to strengthen relationships and unlock value. In this issue of Negotiation Insights, we consider how skilled negotiators...

Can you recall how it felt to be in the company of a good listener? If you can then you probably experienced feelings of being understood and valued. However, if you are like most people this experience will have been the exception and not the norm, and this should not...

When Tom Cruise played the role as a sports agent in the movie Jerry Maguire, he made famous the line “Show me the money”. What he also brought into focus was the use of an agent to negotiate on someone else’s behalf. In complex and highly emotional negotiations, the pathway...

At a meeting on March 17 2017 the US President Donald Trump advised German Chancellor Angela Merkel “We don’t want victory, we want fairness”. This was because the US President claimed that millions of Americans are “left behind” by “unfair” trade agreements and that “Negotiators for Germany have done far better...

How would you manage being true to yourself when others ask you to negotiate an outcome you don't agree with?  This was a situation decorated U.S. Airforce officer Harold Sigmoid confronted when he was asked to serve on a military commission. He was put into a situation where he was...

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to lose the ability to promote a brand or make a purchase that reflects your identity needs? For Australian tobacco manufacturers and smokers, this became the reality, when in 2014 the Australian government passed legislation requiring all cigarettes to be sold...

Following deaths and injuries from suspected vehicle failures, and a recall that surpassed 9 million cars, in 2010 the Toyota President, Akio Toyoda, said, “I extend the condolences from the deepest part of my heart…. I feel deeply sorry for those people who lost their lives or who were injured...

As a negotiator you can choose to be cooperative or competitive. Making the right choice can be the difference between building relationships and value, and destroying relationships and value. When you next receive demands from work colleagues to make their issues your priority, try to understand the impact your styles...

Negotiation is a learned skill that involves a methodology, and the knowledge and creativity to reach a mutually beneficial outcome. In this issue of Negotiation Insights we reflect on Nelson Mandela and the negotiation traits that helped him to achieve his outcomes and build relationships. Nelson Mandela is widely recognised...

Whether it is in business, politics, sport or everyday life, there are times when we need to influence without authority. In this issue of Negotiation Insights we consider how leadership and change can be achieved without authority. The recently retired Australian Chief of Army, David Morrison, said, “The standard you...

When designing a communication strategy, you might like to carefully consider which will be more effective, using a statement to impart your views to others, or a question to draw others towards you. In this issue of Negotiation Insights we look at a notable example of each from history and...

When rapid technological changes combine with entrepreneurship, and a generation that challenges conventions, regulators can find themselves under intense pressure to implement quick solutions to new situations. In this issue of Negotiation Insights we look at ways to influence and control the negotiation timeline. The ability to make informed decisions when...

Imagine confronting a crisis negotiation the outcome of which may put lives at risk or save lives, particularly if you are included. Fortunately when it comes to law enforcement we live in a world where certain individuals have the skills and are prepared to take personal risks to save lives....

Feeling trapped in a negotiation with a Goliath can quickly make the power balance seem uneven and lead to emotions of helplessness, frustration and anger, particularly when industry consolidation occurs and you are a small company suppling a commodity that lacks differentiation. In this issue of Negotiation Insights we look at...

Finding the common ground needed to build rapport and break an impasse is a challenge all negotiators confront, none more so than in the topical example of the ongoing firearm reform debate in the US. In this issue of Negotiation Insights we seek not to judge whose values and beliefs have...

Whether it involves negotiating a treaty, resolving a contract dispute with a supplier, or responding to a disaster, the conventional practice is to offer a conditional concession when a deadlock occurs. In this issue of Negotiation Insights we look at the circumstances that encourage the early granting of one-sided concessions....

How would you negotiate with someone you don't trust? This is a conundrum many negotiators have to confront when they want to achieve mutual gains, whilst at the same time protecting their interests and exposure to future risks. To overcome these concerns skilled negotiators look for ways to verify trust...