The Book of Real-World Negotiations

Real world negotiation examples and strategies from one of the most highly respected authorities in the field

This unique book can help you change your approach to negotiation by learning key strategies and techniques from actual cases. Through hard to find real world examples you will learn exactly how to effectively and productively negotiate. The Book of Real World Negotiations: Successful Strategies from Business, Government and Daily Life shines a light on real world negotiation examples and cases, rather than discussing hypothetical scenarios. It reveals what is possible through preparation, persistence, creativity, and taking a strategic approach to your negotiations. Many of us enter negotiations with skepticism and without understanding how to truly negotiate well. Because we lack knowledge and confidence, we may abandon the negotiating process prematurely or agree to deals that leave value on the table.

The Book of Real World Negotiations will change that once and for all by immersing you in these real world scenarios. As a result, you’ll be better able to grasp the true power of negotiation to deal with some of the most difficult problems you face or to put together the best deals possible. This book also shares critical insights and lessons for instructors and students of negotiation, especially since negotiation is now being taught in virtually all law schools, many business schools, and in the field of conflict resolution. Whether you’re a student, instructor, or anyone who wants to negotiate successfully, you’ll be able to carefully examine real world negotiation situations that will show you how to achieve your objectives in the most challenging of circumstances. The cases are organized by realms—domestic business cases, international business cases, governmental cases and cases that occur in daily life. From these cases you will learn more about:

• Exactly how to achieve Win-Win outcomes
• The critical role of underlying interests
• The kind of thinking that goes into generating creative options
• How to consider your and the other negotiator’s Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA)
• Negotiating successfully in the face of power
• Achieving success when negotiating cross-culturally

Once you come to understand through these cases that negotiation is the art of the possible, you’ll stop saying "a solution is impossible." With the knowledge and self-assurance you gain from this book, you’ll roll up your sleeves and keep negotiating until you reach a mutually satisfactory outcome!

Foreword xi

Preface xiii

Introduction: The Power of Stories to Teach About Negotiation 1

1 Mistakes Negotiators Make, and What Do Great Negotiators Do Anyway? 11

I Domestic Business Cases 25

2 Saving a Merger with Creative Thinking 31

3 Congratulations, You Reached Agreement. Now Can You Make It Better? 39

4 You Want What? How to Negotiate Significant Changes to a Relationship – without Destroying It 47

5 How a Bad BATNA, but a Strong Relationship, Sidestepped a Lawsuit and Created a Mutual Gain Solution 59

6 Let’s Walk Away, but Before We Do, Would You Consider . . . 67

7 Walking the Negotiation Tightrope between Short-Term Needs and Developing Long-Term Relationships 75

8 Out from behind the Shadows 85

II International Business Cases 93

9 Negotiating Effectively in the Face of a Significant Power Imbalance 99

10 Breaking a Negotiation Deadlock through Intangibles 105

11 Looking under the Hull: How Uncovering Information Led to a New and Better Agreement 115

12 When Rushing to Yes Leads to Bigger Problems – but Then a Solution 123

13 How Interests and Creativity Overcame a Negotiation Gap 131

14 Power Begets Power Begets Power 141

15 All in the Family: Business Negotiations with Baggage 147

16 When You Hit a Problem, Think to Restructure Instead of Walking Away 155

17 Going a Long Way to Make a Deal 165

18 Crossing Cultures and Crossing Wires 173

III Government and Daily Life Cases 181

19 “It All Began with a Crumpled-Up Note” 185

20 The Difference between Stalemate and Solution? A Different Word 197

21 Adaptability in the Face of Uncertainty: Saving the Philippines Peace Process after a Last-Minute Reversal 207

22 Listening Them Down from a Tree 219

23 Onions and Hostage Negotiations: The Many Layers 229

24 What Does Success Look Like for a Hostage Negotiator? 241

25 What’s in a Name – and How Do You Negotiate It? 251

26 Gold Ink, Presidential Letterhead, and Agenda Framing in Contract Negotiations 257

Conclusion 267

Glossary 277

Acknowledgments 283

About the Author 285

Index 28

JOSHUA N. WEISS, PHD, is the cofounder of the Global Negotiation Initiative at Harvard University and a senior fellow at the Harvard Negotiation Project. He is also the creator and director of the MS in Leadership and Negotiation program at Bay Path University. Weiss’ varied contributions to the field include the popular Negotiation Tip of the Week (NTOW) podcast and the audiobook series The Negotiator in You published by the BBC. Weiss speaks, publishes, and gets involved in real world negotiations, mediations, and other efforts to resolve destructive conflict around the world.

The best way to learn negotiation skills is by negotiating. The Book of Real-World Negotiations is the next best thing, giving you a seat at the table with top negotiators from around the world. An engaging read and a rich starting point for discussion, this book contains 25 concise, real-world cases, each shared with the author by one of the key negotiators involved. The negotiators reveal how they prepared for their specific negotiation, what happened behind closed doors and how they overcame significant obstacles to reach agreement, as well as the key lessons learned in hindsight

This one-of-a-kind resource allows you to become a fly on the wall in varied negotiations—from mergers to legal disagreements; and from family business conflicts to hostage standoffs. Learn how to research and prepare strategically, while maintaining the necessary mindset to negotiate effectively. Author and international negotiation expert Dr. Joshua Weiss provides his insights on each case, synthesizing the rich narrative material for easy understanding and recall.

The art of negotiation requires creativity and quick thinking to find win-win solutions, especially when the stakes are high. By studying the examples in this book, you can develop a “taste” for how to react in authentic negotiation scenarios. There is no other negotiation book like this, and it is an invaluable resource for current and future negotiators.

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK OF REAL-WORLD NEGOTIATIONS

“Weiss draws on years of experience to tell memorable stories of useful negotiation lessons. His approach reminds me of the Native American saying: ‘Tell me the facts and I’ll learn. Tell me the truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.’”

—James K. Sebenius, professor, Harvard Business School, coauthor, Manager as Negotiator

“Weiss has given us an intellectual gift that will have a long shelf life in the realm of negotiation. Each carefully curated story enlightens the reader who seeks guidance and useful tools. By the time you finish, you know that you have been bequeathed a treasure.”

—Joe Navarro, FBI Special Agent (retired), author, What Every BODY Is Saying

“An impressive contribution to the negotiation field! Drawing on his experience as an innovative teacher and sought after adviser, Weiss shares compelling stories of successful outcomes in the face of daunting obstacles. He extracts practical lessons that will enable readers to enhance their negotiation skills.”

—Michael Wheeler, professor (retired), Harvard Business School, author, The Art of Negotiation

“Weiss lets us eavesdrop on the conundrums, missteps, insights, and triumphs of seasoned negotiators from around the world. Their real life stories are fascinating, funny, insightful, wise, and the lessons are invaluable.”

—Sheila Heen, senior lecturer on Law, Harvard Law School, coauthor, Difficult Conversations

“Highly recommended! Weiss masterfully presents a variety of real-life negotiation dilemmas and reveals hidden routes to optimal outcomes. Should be at the top of every negotiator’s reading list.”

—Daniel L. Shapiro, PhD, director of the Harvard International Negotiation Program, coauthor, Beyond Reason

“Weiss combines the gripping stories of hostage negotiators with the brilliant insights of negotiation experts from other sectors to create a vital addition to any negotiation library!”

—Lt. Scott Tillema, FBI trained hostage negotiator