Critic of The Power of a Positive No

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We are all influenced by our human nature. Indeed, very often, our natural traits affect more than we would the decisions we think we make rationally. One of these human tendencies is to agree with our neighbor and to some extend, to avoid conflicts with individuals that we know. In other words, we are intrinsically inclined to say yes, especially if we praise the relationship. Even if negotiators are fully aware of this weakness, they cannot get rid of it. On the contrary, when they strongly desire a positive outcome to an exciting or a challenging negotiation, they might yield to any agreement, just to close the deal. Sometimes, they can do so even if the agreement does not meet their objectives. In order to address this human propensity that might be painful both in negotiation circumstances and in everyone’s private life, William Ury wrote the book The Power of a Positive No. Doctor William Ury is a first class negotiator and mediator. Coauthor of Getting to Yes, he is globally recognized and praised for his acuity and perspectives. He has been involved in negotiations and mediations not only in the US, but also in many places such as Venezuela (with President Hugo Chavez), Chechnya, Russia and Indonesia. He is the co-founder of Harvard’s Program on Negotiation and is a Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Harvard Negotiation Project, which is a highly influent actor in the negotiation realm. In terms of education, he has a Bachelor of Art from Yale and a Doctorate of Philosophy from Harvard, both in social anthropology. He has conducted research on negotiation in the US and abroad. Thus, his background and experience allows him to support his arguments with personal case studies gathered during his research and from his own ne... ... middle of paper ... ...than a book on negotiation process, it doesn’t fit in negotiation course’s curriculum. Nonetheless, its life skills advice might be useful in time of personal doubt or in time of major personal or professional challenges. Therefore, it would be beneficial to have it, not on a desk, but available on a shelf. I wouldn’t tough recommend it to all my peers, only to some of them who, like me, have always had troubles saying no. Works Cited Ury, William, The Power of a Positive NO, Bantam Dell, New York, 2007, p.2. The author explains the metaphor of the tree page 18. He uses it afterward to introduce each paragraph for pedagogic purposes. Ibid, p18. www.williamury.com/about Ury, Op cit, p.5. Ibid p.10. Eisen, Stephan, Practical Guide to Negotiating in the Military, http://culture.af.mil/NCE p.i. Ibid, p.9. Ibid, p.7. Ury, Op cit, p30.

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