What's Happening in Conflict Resolution" is a weekly round up of the all the ADR news, jobs, events and more. Check it out each week and view past versions [HERE].

Social Movements, Elections, and Political Transformation

By Bernie Mayer

I have changed my political perspectives in many ways during the past fifty years, but one belief has remained surprisingly consistent (to me at least).  I have never believed that electoral politics would create significant change.  I have always believed that while it is very important to elect the best candidates we can, the focus of social change activists ought to be on building popular movements which put pressure on elected politicians, and not on electoral campaigns themselves.

Read more [HERE]. 

Here’s the Unexpected Way Gender Impacts Negotiation

Whether you’re a man or a woman influences how you negotiate, but not in the way you might think. How you approach, say, negotiating a salary with a new employer or bargaining for a raise depends not only on whether you’re a man or a woman, but whether the person on the other side of the table is male or female.

According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, negotiations between men often turn into power struggles, with both sides apt to stake out an extreme position. This is true even if both men have the same ostensible goal, the researchers found.

Read more from from Time.com [HERE].

Principled Negotiation

Do books that offer business advice make a difference? For the most part, the answer is a resounding “No!” And books on negotiation are among the worst offenders. That’s why I was surprised by Negotiating the Impossible by Deepak Malhotra (Berrett-Koehler, 2016). This book is important not just as a business book, but also as a book on how to address a variety of the toughest problems we face as a society.

Read more from the HuffingtonPost.com [HERE]. 

Always stay for the after party: Tips from the negotiation bible for world leaders

Negotiating is hard enough when your livelihood is on the line, imagine how difficult it is to negotiate when the future of the world is at stake.

Even top diplomats need guidance. To ensure that agendas are addressed and conflicts resolved, the United Nations has created its own primer for the art of negotiation, called “Intergovernmental Negotiations and Decision Making at the United Na....”

Written in 2003, the official guide offers wisdom on how countries and NGOs can get what they want.

Read more from QZ.com [HERE]. 

The Secret to Gaining the Upper Hand in Negotiations, with a Former FBI Negotiator

Negotiating is hard, and it’s even harder when there is something you reallywant. The stakes are higher, and you may not know how to get the upper hand. Negotiating takes skill, it's something that a person needs to hone over time through practice, so they can carefully judge when to swoop in for a win and when to hold back. It’s a delicate, instinctual art. But it can definitely be learned.

According to Chris Voss (former FBI crisis negotiator, and founder and CEO of the Black Swan Group), the key to mastering the art of negotiation is empathy. Specifically, it is making the other person empathize with you.

Read more from BigThink.com [HERE].

JOBS

• Ombuds at Central Michigan University

• Ombuds at Smith College