Negotiation strategies

Leaders tend to be so immersed in the specifics of strategy that they rarely stop to think how much of their reasoning is done by analogy. As a result,...

During boom times, deal-making is relatively easy. A rising tide lifts all boats … and the knowledge that there are lots of opportunities out there makes some negotiators forget that the deal is a way to get value, not an end in itself. You don’t have to look as far back as the excesses of […]

It's clear that the Democrats and Republicans will go up to - and probably past - the deadline in their negotiations about a new debt limit. This is a...

Just a few days ago James Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, was riding high. Not only did he pick up Bear Stearns in what amounted to a fire sale – shares that only a year ago fetched $159 a piece were going for $2 – he was heralded for doing so. Seen as a savior, […]

Here’s how to prepare.

Many negotiations collapse over differences of opinion about how the future will unfold. Companies need to realize that it’s often better to bet on uncertain events than to argue about them.

Buck up and get results.

Most companies default to the same approach for executing each new strategy. Here’s a framework for your journey.

It’s the one you have with yourself.

As we hear each day in the news, numerous politicians have taken a "pledge" not to increase taxes (this apparently includes closing tax loop holes). The...

Author’s note: Alistair Hanna, Michael Reopel, and Stuart Flack, all of McKinsey & Company, contributed to this article. The U.S. defense industry is struggling to reorganize itself for growth, if not for survival. The disappearance of the communist threat and the desperate need to revive the U.S. economy have taken the defense industry for a […]

Focus on four preliminary factors that can shape the outcome.

And two you'll want to avoid, but shouldn't.

Signaling collaboration can lead to a more positive outcome.

Be strategic about it.

Some people are practically phobic about going to the bargaining table. If their minimum needs are met, they'll sign on the dotted line just to end the...

Negotiators who understand the most common decision rules — majority rule, chair-decides, and consensus — are more likely to get their way.

Think back to the hiring process that led you to your current position. After a tough round of interviews, you were excited to be chosen for the job....

Lessons from Amazon and beyond.

Focus on what you have to gain rather than what you have to lose.