In his book, Influence: Science and Practice (Allyn and Bacon, Boston, 4th ed. 2001), Robert Cialdini lists six weapons of influence. One of them is “social proof,” which, … states that we determine what is correct by finding out what other people think is correct. The principle applies especially to [Read More]
The Sound of Silence is a song written by and released in 1964 by Simon and Garfunkel. It was used in the movie, The Graduate. Its lyrics include the phrases: “People talking without speaking, People hearing without listening.” It is the last phrase I want to dwell on: People hearing [Read More]
Earlier this week, I was preparing for one of my classes by reading the next chapter in the textbook. Although the chapter discusses basic negotiation strategy, it mentions the term “Boulwarism,” which intrigued me. It is named after General Electric vice president Lemuel Boulware, who used the “take-it-or-leave-it” tactic in [Read More]
Recenly, I came upon a blog post from the Program on Negotiation (PON) at Harvard Law School that is worth discussing. It is entitled “10 Hard Bargaining Negotiation Tactics to Watch” Out for in a Negotiation" by Pon Staff (January 19, 2025). I have seen one or more of these [Read More]
One of the most essential principles of mediation (if not THE most) is self-determination which “…is the act of coming to a voluntary, uncoerced decision in which each party makes free and informed choices as to process and outcome.” (Standard I, Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators.) Rule 1.01(e) of [Read More]
Imagine you are having coffee with a friend in a coffee shop. You are sitting across from each other for about ten minutes. Where is your phone? On the table? In your hand? Out of sight? An interesting study discussed in a blog post on the Harvard Program on Negotiation [Read More]
Several weeks ago, I noted that I had just finished reading a book for our book club—The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone’s Mind by Jonah Berger (Simon & Shuster Paperbacks, New York (2020)) (“Catalyst”). The book's thesis is how to get people to change their minds through self-persuasion. To do [Read More]
Recently, I noted that I had just finished reading a book for our book club—The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone’s Mind by Jonah Berger (Simon & Shuster Paperbacks, New York (2020)) (“Catalyst”). The book's thesis is how to get people to change their minds through self-persuasion. To do this, one [Read More]
