Negotiation Genius: How to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Brilliant Results at the Bargaining Table and Beyond
by Deepak Malhotra and Max H. Bazerman · 2007
In a nutshell
By Deepak Malhotra and Max H. Bazerman, Harvard Business School professors (2007, Bantam), this book combines negotiation theory and psychology to give readers concrete tactics for overcoming tricky obstacles like deception, power imbalances, and multi-party deals.
Overview
Deepak Malhotra and Max H. Bazerman, both Harvard Business School professors, published Negotiation Genius in 2007 through Bantam Books, drawing on negotiation research and real-world case studies.
Key Ideas
- Prepare systematically by identifying your and the other side's best alternatives (BATNA) before negotiating.
- Claiming and creating value both matter — good negotiators find win-win trades, not just split differences.
- Psychological biases (anchoring, overconfidence) distort negotiation decisions and can be exploited or guarded against.
- Multi-party and multi-issue negotiations require different tactics than simple two-party deals.
- Ethical boundaries in negotiation should be decided in advance, not improvised under pressure.
Best For
Founders negotiating complex, high-stakes deals involving multiple parties or significant power imbalances.
Reference
Negotiation Genius: How to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Brilliant Results at the Bargaining Table and Beyond — publisher / official page. Summary adapted from the Awesome Startup Books collection.
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