Chris Meyer

Power – those who don’t have it, want it. Those who do have it, want more. Power, when used to impact, change, or threaten, is almost universally negative. Power, when used correctly, can be very useful in guiding, educating, and increasing outcomes. This episode explores some different ideas for the use of power in negotiation.

We negotiate to achieve gains greater than we could alone. Each of us has resourcesfrom which we pull to achieve the outcomes in life that are important to us. However, if we want to maximize our gains, we need to also draw from the resources controlled by others. This exchange of resources is facilitated by … Read more

While there’s nothing inherently wrong with being selfless, there is also the reality in life that we’re trying to achieve some outcome. Additionally, those with whom we negotiate are also trying to achieve an outcome. The competitive view of negotiation puts these outcomes at odds, producing a winner and a loser in the negotiation. So, … Read more

Collaboration is a motive in your actions, not a behavior. Most people would express a desire to be collaborative, but when faced with the reality of a negoti- ation situation research shows that they drop into a competitive mindset within five minutes of the start of the negotiation—regardless of the mindset they have entering the … Read more

There is a link between your cognition and your behavior – that is, what you think impacts what you do. If you think that you can control or impact your outcomes in the organization with the work that you do, that will impact your behavior. If you enter every negotiation with the desire to win, … Read more

This episode examines the offers and concessions that we prepare before the negotiation and how to strategically use those. This includes answering the question about making first offers, strategically using your reasons for negotiating to open up creative outcomes, and using those reasons appropriately to achieve the best outcome.

In the continued series on Strategic Negotiation, this episode examines some of the causes of ambiguity in our negotiations. Much of the ambiguity stems from differences in the information that the participants have, as well as differences in the interpretation of that information. I walk through some of the common causes of these differences and … Read more

The first episode in a series on Strategic Negotiation examines the preparation of interests for your interaction. Most people prepare for negotiation, but without a clear focus on the interests, the reasons why for negotiating and the outcomes. This episode is focused on developing a strategic approach to those interests and shifting your focus from … Read more

Everyone was taken by surprise when the pandemic forced us into a new way of doing business. Some adapted really well, some adapted really poorly. The difference between having a plan and having a strategy could make or break you in your interactions. Since we all negotiate, we all need a strategy. A plan can … Read more

Everyone tells a story in their interactions. Knowing that and managing it are two different things. This episode (the last episode of 2020) addresses managing your story in a genuine way. We don’t want to be fake, but we do want to manage our impressions, our professionalism, and our reputation. Have a plan and manage … Read more