Category: Holidays

  • Giving gifts as an analogy for mastering negotiations

    The holiday season seems like an appropriate time to tackle the topic of gift-giving. A little reflection suggests that there are two types of gift-givers: “Recipient-focused” gift-givers think about what their recipients really like and try to give them that, even if they themselves find it boring. For example: the guy who gives his girlfriend…

  • Gratitude: Or when not to negotiate

    My posts often talk about getting more of what you want. That is by design, as some basic negotiation skills can often help you get more and give more at the same time. Who wouldn’t do that if they could? Yet, the holidays—and especially their gift-giving traditions—offer an opportunity to make the opposite point: that…

  • The key to a stress-free Thanksgiving: Celebrating our differences

    My last post suggested that we’re often so concerned about (cultural) differences that we fail to negotiate decisively. In a word, it highlighted a hidden cost of an excess focus on diversity. This week, I think it’s appropriate to sing the praises of diversity (of a different kind, for a different reason): It is differences—not…