Negotiate Anything William Ury: The Untold Story of Negotiating in Venezuela
Dec 18, 2025
Join renowned negotiator William Ury, co-author of Getting to Yes, as he shares his incredible journey of mediating high-stakes conflicts. Discover how silence became his most powerful tactic during tense moments with Hugo Chávez in Venezuela. Ury discusses essential negotiation techniques like 'going to the balcony' for clarity and the importance of empathy in transforming adversaries into collaborators. His insights on preparation and his innovative 'Trust Menu' concept reveal new pathways for successful negotiation.
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The Balcony Is Participant Observation
- Anthropology trains you to adopt others' perspectives and practice participant-observation.
- That observer-within approach becomes the "balcony" skill in negotiation.
Get To Yes With Yourself First
- Prepare to "get to yes" with yourself by noticing thoughts and emotions before reacting.
- Use quick grounding techniques so your prefrontal cortex can guide responses instead of reflexive emotion.
Use Silence As A Tactical Tool
- Use moments of silence deliberately; research links silence frequency to more cooperative outcomes.
- Train to tolerate silence so you can listen and influence rather than fill gaps with reactive talk.