The Harvard Program on Negotiation posted an interesting article discussing the obvious: technology has changed how we negotiate and who we are. In “Does Using Technology in Negotiation Change Our Behavior” (October 16, 2025), the Pon staff writer starts by providing a typical example of parties beginning their negotiation by [Read More]
The New York Times Opinion published a guest essay entitled “The Dark Side of Empathy” on May 4, 2025. While it has a political slant, it raises the question of whether empathy is being used as a tactic. As background, and as I noted in a blog last [Read More]
Yesterday--March 20- marked the twelfth anniversary of the International Day of Happiness. A United Nations Resolution was passed at its 118th plenary meeting on June 28, 2012, declaring March 20th of each year to be the holiday. As one might guess, the Kingdom of Bhutan promoted the resolution, which has [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]
A good friend emailed me the other day asking if I had written anything recently on mediation confidentiality. I decided to call her in response, wondering if I had missed any news. It turned out that she had a student who questioned the value and effectiveness of confidentiality in mediation. [Read More]
Spoiler Alert: Much of the content below is computer generated created not by my brain but by computer “intelligence”! As a follow up to my blog last week about the use of AI, I decided to try out Chat GPT. I asked it two questions: (1) Explain how AI can [Read More]
In previous posts, I have discussed the benefits of small talk. It is crucial to building trust and rapport at the start of any mediation. It is crucial for the mediator to get the parties to “like” her which is done through small talk. If the parties do not “like” [Read More]
We all love a delightful story. And stories are important in negotiating and resolving disputes. This point was eloquently made by Dr. Joshua N. Weiss in Harvard’s Program on Negotiation, “The Sunday Minute” (April 17, 2022): At their best, stories create a sense of connection, build trust, allow the listener [Read More]
