Category Archives: Conflict Management

Special Challenges of Multi-Party Negotiation, Part 3: October Surprises

Posted on May 29, 2019 by Negotiation Guidance Associates

by Berton Lee Lamb and Susan K. Driver A few years ago we were involved in a multi-party negotiation that had an interesting dynamic. Two of the parties in this negotiation were allies. Although they supported each other, one of … Continue reading →

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Should Mediators “Evaluate?”

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Negotiation Guidance Associates

Here is a quote from a blurb that recently appeared in the International Chamber of Commerce webpage: “..the benefit of mediation was seen as lying in the mediator’s ability to look beyond the polarised positions of the parties and find … Continue reading →

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The Role of a Mediator

Posted on November 5, 2015 by Negotiation Guidance Associates

A blog post by Katherine Graham about the role of a mediator recently came across my desk. Ms. Graham makes a good point that mediators should avoid the very natural tendency to pull the parties toward a solution. She writes … Continue reading →

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American Negotiating Style: Learning from Diplomacy

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Negotiation Guidance Associates

What can we learn from the practice of diplomacy that will help us negotiate? Whether it is natural resources, workplace conflict, or local policy disputes there are some golden rules to help us. The Public Diplomacy Council recently published an … Continue reading →

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Choosing, Using, and Being a Facilitator

Posted on August 22, 2014 by Negotiation Guidance Associates

“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

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Negotiation Guidance Associates

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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Choosing the Right Representative

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Negotiation Guidance Associates

I have been reading an interesting history of a slice of diplomacy from the Second World War. President Roosevelt used personal representatives–often informally–to help him understand and coordinate with our allies. This led me to thinking about choosing the right representatives … Continue reading →

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

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Negotiation Guidance Associates

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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Threats in Negotiation

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Negotiation Guidance Associates

Often, when we interview parties in a dispute, we find that they have focused on the threats posed by their adversaries. In these situations, it is important to step back and examine the threats as objectively as possible. An article … Continue reading →

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Seeing the Big Picture: Strategy

Posted on October 20, 2013 by Negotiation Guidance Associates

Seeing the big picture in the midst of battle, or a rancorous negotiation, is difficult but important. A brief article on the website American Diplomacy traces the strategic consequences of three battles (Waterloo, The Somme, and Omaha Beach) to show … Continue reading →

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