Two recent studies discussed in Katie Shonk's Harvard PONS blog Challenges Facing Women Negotiators (June 1, 2021) confirm what I have long suspected: it is tough being a woman negotiator. Or more bluntly, any given negotiation scenario is biased against women when men are involved. ("Blog") The first study by [Read More]
I recently finished reading The Power of Moments by Chip Heath and Dan Heath (Simon &Schuster, New York 2017) for an upcoming book club discussion. The authors note that we spend the bulk of our lives living forgettable moments. Yet, every once in a while, we have a moment [Read More]
I learned a new term recently: noise. Not “noise” as in a room full of people talking loudly, but “noise” as opposed to “bias”. Whereas “bias” is defined as errors in judgement, “noise” is defined as “the random errors that create decision risk and uncertainty.” ( Noise Versus Bias- We [Read More]
Implicit in every negotiation is the question of who holds the power? “Power” is the “… respective abilit[y] of each person in the relationship to influence each other and to direct the relationship.” (bigthink.com) This balance of power does not remain in the same person throughout the negotiation. It will [Read More]
In 1979, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, in creating their Prospect Theory, developed the important cognitive bias concept of loss aversion. It is summed up in the saying “losses loom larger than gains.” That is, people are more willing to take risks to avoid a loss than to make [Read More]
I do not know about you, but I have been emailing much much more over the last thirteen months than in pre-Covid days. And, with this increase has come attempts to negotiate by e mail. A recent study confirms what my gut has told me: that negotiating by e mail [Read More]
The end of the semester is drawing near in my online employment mediation dispute class. The theme of the last discussion board is reflective: what three things has each student learned from or skills developed or improved upon in this course. There is a saying to the effect that as [Read More]
In 1998, President Bill Clinton was impeached but not convicted based on statements he made regarding his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. In an interview with Jim Lehrer on “NewsHour”, the following exchange occurred: Jim Lehrer: “No improper relationship”—define what you mean by that. President Bill Clinton: “Well, I think you [Read More]
