Station 4 Negotiation

Does negotiation really still work in an increasingly disagreeable culture? How do you create structure in difficult dealmaking? How do you keep momentum going when things are tense? How do you close that kind of deal?

This week on S4N, Gene examines the ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland, widely known as "The Troubles," to see what it can teach us about modern-day dealmaking. Learn about the Mitchell principles of negotiation, sharpen your understanding of the strategic use of deadlines, and tuck Gene's "morning-afternoon-evening" approach to difficult negotiations in your back pocket. Plus, break down the importance of "buying a ticket to the dance," gain tools for negotiating with belligerent parties, and get tips on how to identify and seize what Gene calls the moment of courage. Remember: negotiation is life.

Mentioned in this episode:

• "No Hope For Tomorrow," a poem by Irish woman Karen Woods
• "Making Peace" by George Mitchell
• Your independent bookshop recommendations:
  • Pegasus Books, Oakland, CA
  • Warwick's, La Jolla, CA
  • Anderson's Bookshop, Naperville, IL

"Greed, for lack of a better word, is good." That's an infamous line from the 1987 movie Wall Street, starring Michael Douglas as the high-powered financier Gordon Gekko. But is greed good?

This week on S4N, Gene explores the double-edged sword of greed and how it impacts your negotiations. Learn common pitfalls to avoid, discover the difference between pushing the envelope and pushing buttons, and reverse engineer a high-profile failed deal so that you don't make the same mistakes. Plus, learn about leveraged buyouts and negotiating with private equity, explore why getting cozy with management is important, and uncover why a bidding war can mean trouble for a deal. Remember: negotiation is life.

Works mentioned in this episode:

• Wall Street, the 1987 film directed by Oliver Stone
• "Barbarians At The Gate" by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar
• Barbarians At The Gate, the 1993 film directed by Glenn Jordan

This week on S4N, Gene conducts a post-mortem on the tragic Waco massacre and asks the question: what happens when a negotiation fails? Learn about overcommitment, the impact a chain of command can have on the negotiation process, why controlling information and coordinating effort is key, and how a game of telephone can kill your negotiation. Plus, check out how to use the "trickle flow gush" strategy in extremely difficult negotiations, gain tools for navigating multilevel negotiations, remind yourself why you really need active listening and mirroring, and learn why the punishment mindset gets you nowhere. Remember: negotiation is life.

Works mentioned in this episode:

• "Stalling For Time: My Life As An FBI Hostage Negotiator" by Gary Noesner
• "Dragnet," the 1950s NBC drama series later remade to star Dan Aykroyd

What's the difference between negotiation and persuasion? How do we persuade others? How do we handle others who try to persuade us? This week on S4N, Gene takes you back to debate class as he examines tactics straight from the Oval Office and breaks down the elements of good – and bad – persuasion.

Learn the difference between critical and empathetic listening, understand what coaches really mean when they talk about active listening, and gain tools you can use when the other side overwhelms you. Plus, apply the Aristotelian triangle to negotiation, learn how to recognize – and avoid – a Gish gallop, and show some love to your favorite independent bookstore.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN
• Landmark Booksellers, Franklin, TN
• The Town Book Store, Westfield, NJ
• Barnes & Noble, Brentwood, TN
• "Win Every Argument: The Art Of Debating, Persuading, And Public Speaking" by Mehdi Hasan
• "Dave", the 1993 film directed by Ivan Reitman
• Zeno of Citium, Hellenistic thinker and founder of the Stoic school of philosophy

We've all heard the advice "always be closing," but… should we be? This week on S4N, Gene pushes back on that advice. Join him as he breaks down how to determine your next move, the best way to get implementation buy-in, and, yes, how to get a deal done. Plus, go from novice to pro when using calibrated questions, learn how to make emotional appeals rational, and figure out the experts' secrets for pointing even the most difficult deals in the right direction. Remember: negotiation is life.

Works mentioned in this episode:

• "How To Sweet Talk A Shark: Strategies And Stories From A Master Negotiator" by Bill Richardson and Kevin Bleyer
• "Glengarry Glen Ross," the 1992 film directed by James Foley

Do diverse teams get better deals done? Is it better to work with people who are just like you? Does anyone's DEI training really work? This week on S4N, Gene examines how diversity - in particular, gender diversity - affects negotiation teams. Join him as he explores the relationship between diversity, risk assessment, and negotiation and takes a look at the role of confirmation bias in dealmaking. Plus, learn about the ever-important task of salary negotiation, how we could've saved ourselves from the 2008 market crash, and why sometimes getting to no is more important than getting to yes.

Works mentioned in this episode:

• "Own It: The Power Of Women At Work" by Sallie Krawcheck
• "10-10-10: A Life Transforming Idea" by Suzy Welch
• Sallie Krawcheck's investment platform and financial literacy program for women, Ellevest
• "Never Split The Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It" by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz

What do movies teach us about how to craft compelling points in negotiation? What kind of groundwork should we lay to facilitate a productive deal? Do ultimatums ever work? This week on S4N, Gene uses "The Godfather" to break down how to negotiate like a boss (just not that kind). Learn why the word "fair" doesn't always have a place in negotiation, explore the role that anger plays in the negotiating room, and examine what works and what doesn't about the Corleone family's approach to dealmaking (hint: leave the threats, take the stoicism). Plus, for something different, listen as Gene makes his case for an unlikely connection between "The Godfather" and another film.

Works mentioned in this episode:

• The works of Gerald Mast, specifically "The Comic Mind: Comedy And The Movies"
• "The Godfather" by Mario Puzo
• "The Godfather," the 1972 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola
• "Elf," the 2003 film directed by Jon Favreau
• "The Art Of War" by Sun Tzu

How do you negotiate effectively in high-pressure, high-risk situations? How do you keep a cool head when everyone else in the room is pushing for aggressive action? This week on S4N, Gene analyzes one of the most dangerous negotiations in history, breaking down the tactics employed by John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev during the Cuban Missile Crisis and teaching YOU how to apply their strategies to your own high-stress negotiations. Plus, learn about multi-level negotiations, the importance of implementation, Trollope ploys, and how to reconcile perception and outcome. Remember: negotiation is life.

Works mentioned in this episode:

• "Nuclear Folly: A History Of The Cuban Missile Crisis" by Serhii Plokhy
• "The Cuban Missile Crisis In American Memory: Myths Versus Reality" by Sheldon Stern
• John F. Kennedy administration tapes of meetings re: the Cuban Missile Crisis, an enhanced and edited compilation of which can be found here
• "Thirteen Days: A Memoir Of The Cuban Missile Crisis" by Robert F. Kennedy
• "Thirteen Days," the 2000 film directed by Roger Donaldson
• "The West Point Way Of Leadership" by Larry R. Donnithorne
• John F. Kennedy's review of "Deterrent or Defense" by B.H. Lidell Hart, which can be found here

This week on Station 4 Negotiation, Gene examines how being "nice" and being an effective negotiator aren't mutually exclusive. Plus, learn how to ask calibrated questions, how to find your place in a negotiation, how to negotiate with different personality types, and why slow and steady wins the race. Remember: negotiation is life.

If anyone knows about working in teams, it's the NFL. This week on the Station 4 Negotiation, Gene probes one of the biggest negotiations in NFL history and examines how teamwork and building rapport with "the other side" can get a deal done. Plus, learn about anchoring and how to use it, the importance of identifying your "BATNA," and what quality all effective negotiators have in common. Remember: negotiation is life.

Works mentioned in this episode:

• The lectures of Professor Gerald R. Williams, a selection of which can be found here
• "Getting To Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In" by Roger Fisher and William Ury
• "Thinking In Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All The Facts" by Annie Duke
• "Parcells: A Football Life" by Bill Parcells and Nunyo Demasio
• "The Obstacle Is The Way: The Timeless Art Of Turning Adversity to Advantage" by Ryan Holiday