negotiation dynamics Quotes

Negotiating in the classic diplomatic sense assumes parties more anxious to agree than to disagree.

Whomever speaks first gives up some power.

I just think the most important aspect in being able to have a productive relationship between the teachers' unions and the districts and the states that they're dealing with is that the person sitting across the table from them should not have received the largest campaign contributions from the teachers' union itself.

The 'that's right' breakthrough usually doesn't come at the beginning of a negotiation. It's invisible to the counterpart when it occurs, and they embrace what you've said. To them, it's a subtle epiphany.

American pressure has pummeled into submission the UN's role as an impartial Middle East negotiator

A writer who doesn't need the money gains power and is dangerous in a negotiation.

No negotiation is ever possible if you have to negotiate not only with the people in the room but also with some other committee in permanent session.

In retrospect, I can see that President Brezhnev was quite proud of the limited agreement that he had concluded in Vladivostok; and to have a new American president come in and say, "That is not good enough - let's do much more, and do it quite rapidly," took him by surprise.

But definitely, when a decision is taken, or when you are trying to oppose a decision, you are in a weaker position than the member states, because they know more about the situation than you. We gave information, but they never gave us any information.

What is negotiation but the accumulation of small lies leading to advantage?

If people know you'll go to any lengths for your client, they're less likely to play games with you.

Very few negotiations are begun and concluded in the same sitting. It's really rare. In fact, If you sit down and actually complete your negotiation in one sitting, you left stuff on the table.

One of the things I love about negotiations is that you have to be able to play it like an orchestra, different instruments for different circumstances. There's sweetness, and encouragement, and cajoling. There's pressure, there's drama, there's ultimatums.

Typically to get toward a productive outcome in negotiation you have to make the initial move of genuinely exploring someone's model. If you don't, it is unlikely that they will be willing to explore yours. And if you genuinely explore and understand theirs - without judging it - they will be willing to explore yours. Once they reach that point, they are primed to explore the productive combination of both models and won't be as obsessed about trying to make sure their model prevails.

In most negotiations, you can't attribute success or failure in negotiations to one side.

I negotiated the proper timing and other things having to do with one of our other debates.