Negotiate Anything How to Influence Decision-Makers Without Triggering Their Ego
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Dec 31, 2025 In this engaging discussion, David Johnson, a legal practitioner and design-thinking educator at Stanford, shares how to elevate your negotiation game. He introduces design thinking as a user-centric approach that counters assumptions and enhances outcomes. David reveals essential skills for negotiators, like synthesizing and navigating ambiguity. Techniques such as the empathy map and why-how lattice offer fresh perspectives on understanding motivations. Learn how to leverage self-interest while balancing power dynamics for more impactful negotiations.
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Design Thinking Puts Users First
- Design thinking centers problem-solving on the end user's needs, not the designer's assumptions.
- David Johnson emphasizes immersion in users' wants and iterative prototyping to avoid building imagined solutions.
Prototype Without Users Backfires
- David Johnson recounts an engineering student who built a prototype without user input and missed the assignment's point.
- The story illustrates why user research must precede prototyping in design thinking.
Ambiguity Is Inherent In Negotiation
- Negotiations naturally produce ambiguity as parties bring different, incomplete information.
- Training to expect and navigate ambiguity prevents negotiators from being derailed when surprises occur.
