The perfect negotiator is said to be both assertive and flexible, endowed with a brilliant intellect and an amazing memory. But how do the rest survive in international business and diplomacy? It is just like succeeding at sports - talent may be 20 %; the rest is training. Here are fourteen exercises that you can do in class, all based on real-life cases. Steering through the phases of confrontation, competition, and cooperation will help you to resolve conflicts and achieve win/win results. As he did in his first book, International Negotiations, the author, an experienced diplomat, shows you step by step how to succeed in negotiations without being a genius.
Alexander Mühlen is a retired German diplomat, who served his country among other places in Yemen, UN Geneva, Singapore, Chile and Uganda.