As recently as a few weeks ago this blog noted the distinction between public and private negotiation. Nevertheless, the current debate concerning raising the public debt "ceiling" seems to present a stark lesson on when to negotiate and when not to. ...
Jane Gunn's new book is the first ADR volume I have read whose introduction begins "This is not a sex manual!" Well, neither is it a self-help book, nor a reminder of the virtues of candid conversation, nor a refresher on the teachings of the Buddha or Jesus. Yet all that...
It is curious that, as formal training in private negotiation increases, the quality of public negotiation has fallen into such disrepair. Business people negotiating a private deal are trained to listen attentively, in order to discover their counterparty's interests, and to devise beneficial options that accomodate them. Yet listening is something one seldom...