This work offers a summary of "Bargaining With The Devil" By Robert Mnookin. In the business world, people and companies are often faced with conflict, and the emotions that surround these can make it hard to stand back and assess the best course of action. When should one just accept and move on, and when should one negotiate or go straight to warfare? With the cool-minded rationale of a lawyer, Robert Mnookin creates a decision-making framework to assist in such situations. He first lays out three challenges which you must overcome before making a decision on when to negotiate:
1) Untangle your emotions from the situation
2) Analyse costs and benefits of negotiating versus other viable alternatives
3) Address the moral and ethical issues involved in deciding whether to negotiate with an enemy
This summary makes me think back to the late 19th century when American artist James Whistler sued John Ruskin for libelous comments against him. Despite winning the lawsuit, Whistler came out the other end with hurt pride and an empty bank account. His winnings amounted to only one farthing, which naturally did not cover the lawyer’s costs. With this logical summary of Mnookin’s book, you will be able to avoid falling into such traps and can enter negotiations with confidence that you have enough backing to support your decision.