Resolution Strategies

If I was building a library about negotiation, I'd start with a book called “The Science of Settlement: Ideas for Negotiators” by Barry Goldman, adjunct professor at Wayne State University Law School. In a mere 167 pages — 177 if you count the glossary — Professor Goldman provides a wealth of inform [...]

When I began offering my services as a mediator more than 16 years ago, I held myself personally responsible every time a mediation ended in an impasse — convinced that I had failed to do my job and had let down the parties and their counsel. Intellectually, of course, I understood that mediation wa [...]

Have you ever noticed that the best drivers and the best negotiators share certain skills in common? Both anticipate the actions and reactions of others. Both are quick to make necessary adjustments. Both are aware that sudden and unexpected maneuvers can cause a loss of traction or send things spin [...]

For reasons that largely remain a mystery to me, I had more "last-minute" cancellations in 2023 than any previous year. By "last-minute," I mean a request to cancel or continue a mediation within fourteen (14) days of its scheduled date, at which point the mediation fee is non-refundable unless I'm [...]

I tend to think of negotiation as a competitive process that necessarily requires cooperation in order for the parties to reach their shared objective of resolution. The reason I consider the process "competitive" is that each side generally wants to be “the winner,” i.e., the party that negotiated [...]