The Power of Silence and Respect in Negotiation

This chapter explores the strategic use of silence in negotiations, highlighting its role in enhancing communication and allowing thoughtful responses. It emphasizes the importance of respect and shared understanding, advocating for collaborative approaches instead of adversarial tactics. Additionally, the discussion illustrates how learning culturally significant gestures, like language, can create goodwill and facilitate constructive dialogue.

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Episode notes

William Ury, cofounder of Harvard’s Program on Negotiation, is one of the world’s best-known experts on negotiation. He is coauthor of Getting to Yes, the all-time best selling negotiation book in the world; the author of one of my favorite books on negotiation (Getting Past No: Negotiating in Difficult Situations); and author of the new book: Possible: How We Survive (and Thrive) in an Age of Conflict.

Please enjoy!

Timestamps for this episode are available below.

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Timestamps:

[00:00] Start

[06:53] Connecting with Roger Fisher.

[10:08] Devising Seminars.

[12:31] Negotiating the Camp David Accords.

[18:23] Writing the other side's victory speech.

[21:17] Writing Kim Jong-un's victory speech.

[26:20] Pondering possibilities in the modern Middle East.

[29:26] Lessons from iconic possibilist Nelson Mandela.

[32:17] Going to the balcony.

[36:11] Mitigating the risk of emotional spiraling with Hugo Chávez.

[40:50] The power of silence.