Breakthrough Business Negotiation

Breakthrough Business Negotiation is a simple to read book by Michael Watkins, professor at Harvard Business School. Simple book means simple summary. Here are some worthy highlights:

1. Build character in your employees, not just skill. This is particularly important when you start outsourcing your work.
2. Professional buyers can lie, be wary.
3. Hire attitude, train aptitude.
4. Give folks a fair deal.
5. Build company character instead of culture.
6. Bonus tip: Differentiate between value adding cost vs non value adding cost.
   Some useful proverbs to provoke your thoughts:
   

• It's useful to walk a mile in another shoes but you must first remove your own shoes.
• Every failure teaches you a lesson that could be the seed of the next great idea.
• Humor is an important factor for building an environment of trust and openness.