Within the span of two weeks, I had nearly identical conversations with two leaders — one in sourcing, the other in sales, but the complaint was the same: Their frustration was that their teams were using AI as a substitute for judgment rather than a tool to sharpen it......

There’s a moment most negotiators recognize. They’re in the middle of a difficult conversation, things are moving in the right direction. Then someone walks in. Some negotiators start performing in order to look strong. But looking strong and reaching a deal aren't the same thing .....

If you think people pleasers automatically strengthen negotiations, you’re wrong. Yes, they believe in the value of protecting relationships (and that’s good), but the choices that come from this urge frequently do more damage to outcomes than most negotiators realize.....

Every baseball fan starts the season with hope. Every team has a path to the World Series. There’s something irrational about it, but that’s part of the fun. Then the season begins. Hope starts to shift from “Let’s win it all!” to what's more realistic. Negotiations follow the same pattern......