Negotiation Resources
Negotiations is one of the most important life skills you can acquire. The effect of learning some simple strategies and skills is immediate – once they know how to negotiate with confidence and authenticity, people are shocked at how often they have opportunities to negotiate win-win deals in every day life!
After teaching masters students, MBAs, executives and diplomats I have started offering negotiation coaching to individual clients. Here are some of the materials I’ve provided my students over the years at the LSE and Berkeley. I hope they come in handy.
Great negotiators are made, not born.
Negotiation can be learned. Here are resources to help you gain one of the most valuable skills a person can have. You owe it to yourself to learn to ask for what you want. Good luck in your negotiations!
A negotiator prepares.
Always prepare with the Negotiation Planning Document and become a better negotiator over time with the Negotiation Journal.
Book recommendations:
The Mind and Heart of the Negotiator. (2008, 4th edition) Leigh L. Thompson.
Comprehensive text that addresses most of the topics covered in this course. Dense but extremely informative. Extensive bibliography is useful for further reading.
Getting to Yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in. (2011, revised 2nd edition) Roger Fisher and William Ury.
Easy-to-read classic (originally published in 1981) on how to approach negotiations as a win-win situation. Practical tips and useful examples.
Getting Past No: Negotiating with difficult people. (1992) Roger Fisher and William Ury.
The sequel to Getting to Yes. Focuses on negotiating with people who do not want to cooperate. Some overlap with Getting to Yes, but also some useful new material.
Getting Ready to Negotiate: The “Getting to Yes” workbook. (1996) Roger Fisher and Danny Ertel.
The success of any negotiation lies in the quality of the preparation. This workbook provides a step-by-step guide on how to prepare for negotiations and select the most effective strategy.
Building Agreement: Using emotions as you negotiate. (2007) Roger Fisher and Daniel Shapiro.
Recent book by one of the authors of Getting to Yes and Getting Past No. Focuses on emotions and how to handle them.
Crucial Conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high. (2011) Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler.
Helps you get constructive results when emotions run high and opinions vary. Great for negotiators who get shaken from their strategy or feel “unsafe” when others get emotional, and for those who have a hard time controlling their emotions. Also see their sequel, Crucial Confrontations: Tools for talking about broken promises, violated expectations, and bad behavior.
Difficult Conversations: How to discuss what matters most. (2010) Bruce Patton, Douglas Stone, and Sheila Heen.
Addresses the broader topic of difficult conversations. Provides practical tips and exercises to help you prepare for and engage in difficult conversations.
The Art and Science of Negotiation: How to resolve conflicts and get the best out of bargaining. (1990, new edition) Howard Raiffa.
Classic (originally published in 1982) that helped establish negotiation analysis as a field of study. Uses decision theory and game theory to give advice on how to negotiate more effectively.
Ask for it: How women can use the power of negotiation to get what they really want. (2009) Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever.
Useful exercises for anyone who is nervous or fearful of negotiation.
Women Don’t Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation–and Positive Strategies for Change. (2007) Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever.
Explores gender differences in negotiation and provides useful advice for women on how and when to ask.