After a tough negotiation, ever catch yourself thinking, “Oh, I wish I said this, or I should have done that”? But there’s nothing you can do about it now. Your mental light bulb clicked on too late. In this episode we call back our friend Lakshmi Balachandra, who teaches negotiation and entrepreneurship in nearby Babson … Continue reading 13. How to Be Quicker on Your Feet →

Have you signed a consent form to participate in an experiment recently? Ever done so? You might answer no, but actually the odds are high you’ve been conscripted without ever knowing it. That’s the message in a new book, The Power of Experiments, by our Harvard Business School colleagues Mike Luca and Max Bazerman. In … Continue reading 12. The Dark Side of Experimentation →

Professor Frank Barrett, jazz pianist and author of Yes to the Mess, returns for an encore. In this episode he talks with Agility at Work co-hosts Mike Wheeler and Kim Leary about how old habits and assumptions stifle creativity in both negotiation and leadership. It’s one thing to recognize the trap, but quite another to … Continue reading 11. Been There/Done That: How to Unlearn What You Think You Know →

Our guest in this episode is HBS Professor Christine Exley, who has raised a caution flag about the popular notion that women short-change themselves by not negotiating enough. If it were true, the cost would be significant, especially when it comes to salary. But as Christine and her co-authors reported in a recent HBR article … Continue reading 10. Think Twice Before You Lean In →

The person you’re negotiating with may claim to have a better offer, but is she spinning a lie? And should you trust the contractor who promises to finish building your new house before winter sets? Nobody wants to be scammed, but at the same time we don’t want to doubt people who are telling us … Continue reading 9. Lie Detection →

First the good news. Empathy and understanding in negotiation often lead to creative problem-solving and foster productive relationships. This is the core of the win-win approach and it’s been confirmed in numerous studies. The not-so-good news is that being nice may backfire in negotiations that take place on platforms like Craigslist and eBay. In this … Continue reading 8. The Cost of Being Nice in Negotiations →

It’s no surprise that Lakshmi Balachandra is an expert on pitches. After all, she’s a professor in Babson College’s Division of Entrepreneurship. But Lakshmi says pitching isn’t just for entrepreneurs seeking investors. It’s a core skill, whatever your role in the organization. You want a raise, a new assignment, or more resources? You’ll have to … Continue reading 7. Perfecting Your Pitch →

Harvard Business School Professor Michael Luca shares his findings about negotiation in the online marketplace with Agility at Work: One Step Ahead. The good news—most of the time—is that strangers, often miles apart, can nevertheless trust one another to deliver what they promise. Much of that is due to transparency. But there is a downside, … Continue reading 6. Bargaining on Airbnb, Craigslist, and eBay: Is the Table Tilted? →

Professor Deborah Kolb, author of Negotiating at Work, joins One Step Ahead co-hosts Mike Wheeler and Kim Leary to discuss the special challenges of negotiating within your organization. That may be negotiating up for a raise. Down to get real buy-in from your people. Or sideways to help your team go in the right direction. … Continue reading 5. Negotiating Within Your Company: Power, Gender, and the Unwritten Rules of Engagement →

In this episode of Agility at Work: One Step Ahead, co-hosts Mike Wheeler and Kim Leary describe their research on the thoughts and feelings—most of them negative and unproductive—that many people bring to the bargaining table. Together they lay out a six-step process of being emotionally prepared to perform at your best when you negotiate.