Category Archives: Communication

Choosing, Using, and Being a Facilitator

“In control but not the judge.” This is how one facilitator described his role in a restorative justice meeting (Borton, 2013). This description is a classic statement about the role of a facilitator. In Borton’s study, facilitators agreed on the … Continue reading

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The Power of Collaboration

We often hear about the power of collaboration. It is good to find examples. One example appeared in a recent issue of Public Administration Review. The short article by David Wang is entitled “A Simple Lesson about the Power of … Continue reading

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Keys to Negotiation 13: Relationships, Trustworthiness, and Personal Bonds

We often say of negotiation that it is important to establish personal connections. Sometimes this is interpreted to mean that we should get to know the other stakeholders, maybe through social interactions. Social interactions are certainly important, but recent research … Continue reading

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Keys to Negotiation 12 — When to Come In

On April 13, 2011, Terry Gross interviewed Tina Fey on the NPR radio program Fresh Air.  They had a nice long chat about comedy, acting, and life in general prompted by the publication of Fey’s autobiography. When talking about her … Continue reading

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Surviving the Impromptu Press Conference

In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings I was impressed by the impromptu press conference given by the uncle of the suspects. I wanted to know if this was an effective form of communication. To answer this question I … Continue reading

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Power, Trustworthiness, and Willingness to Negotiate

by Cindy T. Christen, Ph.D. Most investigations of the negotiation process assume that the parties to a conflict are willing to participate in formal negotiations. In reality, a number of factors can influence a party’s willingness to consider negotiation as … Continue reading

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Keys to Negotiation 11: Bargaining with “Deepening Conversations”

Becoming a better bargainer means being a better listener.  We negotiate every day. Some of these negotiations are at work, where we try to plan future actions or resolve conflicts over what we have already done. Some are with friends and … Continue reading

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The Special Challenges of Multi-Party Negotiations, Part 2

 By Susan K. Driver As I discussed in an earlier article, the structure of every negotiation is multi-dimensional. At any given time, negotiations are occurring simultaneously along three distinct dimensions: (1) the horizontal dimension across the table with the other … Continue reading

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Negotiation Quick Tips: Workplace Conflict

Workplace conflicts are very common. Sometimes those conflicts are between employees in the same organization. Often, however, those conflicts are between the boss and the employee.  An interesting post in Fast Company discusses boss-employee conflicts. One great thing about this article … Continue reading

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The Influence of Culture on Strategy Selection

By Cindy T. Christen, Ph.D. Negotiation researchers have identified a number of factors that can influence selection of cooperative or noncooperative strategies. These can include objective factors, such as overlapping preferences, interests or goals, and subjective factors, such as perceptions … Continue reading

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