Featured Articles

  • The Consensus Building Approach
    Lawrence Susskind ,

    Lawrence Susskind, a world expert on decision making, and founder of the Consensus Building Institute, explains creative problem solving and the consensus building approach to Italian magazine Agorà.

  • Dealing with an Angrier Public
    Lawrence Susskind, Patrick Field ,

    In 1996, Lawrence Susskind and Patrick Field published the book "Dealing with an Angry Public". They put forward six principles that might help win back the public’s trust. Yet the public is angrier than ever. Do the principles outlined more than 15 years ago still hold in this mad, mad world? Do they need to be revised?

  • How We Feel About the Deal
    , Hal Movius

    This article reviews three basic assumptions that are called into question by recent findings regarding specific kinds of errors that people are prone to make when determining how they feel, and suggests that this line of research has important implications for negotiation theory, research, advice, and practice.

  • How to Negotiate When Values are at Stake
    Lawrence Susskind , Adam Z. Rose

    Negotiators are accustomed to focusing on interests. But to resolve an entrenched dispute over differences in values and beliefs, you'll need a new set of tools.

When Does Personality Matter in Negotiation?

Hal Movius

Hal Movius, Principal and Director of CBI's Training and Consulting Services, investigates the importance of personality in negotiation in the "The Negotiation Insider", circulated by Harvard Law School's Program on Negotiation.

Collaborative Planning and Adaptive Management in Glen Canyon: A Cautionary Tale

Lawrence Susskind, Todd Schenk , Alejandro E. Camacho

The Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (AMP) has failed to bring stakeholders together to jointly increase their understanding of the Colorado River and make useful, broadly supported resource management recommendations. In this article, the authors argue that the Glen Canyon Dam AMP has implemented CAM ineffectively, largely due to Congress and the DOI’s deficient initial design.

Winning Public Support for Addressing Climate Change

Lawrence Susskind , Evan Paul

While many people around the world are grappling with how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next 50 years, those living in coastal areas like Maryland are pushing hard now to find immediate ways to cope with the current effects of climate change before their communities are destroyed.

Integrating Mediation in Land Use Decision Making

Patrick Field , Kate Harvey,Matt Strassberg

Across the country, decision makers at the local and state levels are turning increasingly to new methods for resolving conflicts that arise during land use decision making processes, including mediation.

Getting Coast Smart

Lawrence Susskind, Patrick Field, David Plumb

In the United States, coastal communities face many immediate challenges, including declining fish stocks, rapid population growth and aging infrastructure. Yet over the next 50 years, some communities must face the potential threat of their own extinction due to climate change.

Deliberative Democracy and Dispute Resolution

Lawrence Susskind

There are three problems with the way our traditional approach to democratic decision making allocates scarce resources, establishes policy priorities, and sets health, safety, and related standards in the public arena.

Public Apology: An Unapologetic Primer

Patrick Field , Douglas Thompson

CBI Managing Director Patrick Field and Keystone Center Senior Mediator Douglas Thompson contributed an article on public apologies to the Spring 2009 issue of Public Involvement Network News, an electronic newsletter for public involvement and collaborative problem solving practitioners.

Knowing When to Walk Away from a Negotiation

Andrew Maxfield

No matter the value of the deal, there is always a point at which you’d be better off by pursuing other alternatives—by walking away. However, due to emotional pressures, analytical complexity, and other factors, knowing when to walk away isn’t easy, especially if you perceive that your job or reputation is on the line.

The Effectiveness of Negotiation Training

Hal Movius

Organizations currently spend tens of billions of dollars annually on negotiation training, but little systematic research has been conducted concerning the actual effectiveness of negotiation training. This article reviews the available evidence regarding the effectiveness of negotiation training using four levels of outcome measurement.

Procurement: Avoiding the Three Deadly Sins

Tom Kinnaird

To contribute greater value, Chief Procurement Officers need to develop and promote a more sophisticated approach to negotiation that considers all parties’ interests.

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