Negotiation anxiety is real, and the results can be costly: giving in too easily, accepting lopsided deal terms, letting the other side control the process, or walking away from opportunities altogether. At its core, negotiation anxiety is rooted in conflict avoidance .....

The US government is still shut down: two sides, both convinced they’re right, both unwilling to back down. The longer it drags on, the more “saving face” becomes the obstacle to making progress. But in a negotiation, that instinct can easily lead us astray.....

I was at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. the night the government shut down. Unfortunately, I wasn’t invited in to help negotiate a deal. Then again, I don’t think either side was in a mood to negotiate. From the start, it was framed as a win-lose showdown......

In any negotiation, price, terms, and timeline are critical factors, but another element often matters just as much: who actually holds the authority to decide......