#721: Master Negotiator William Ury — Proven Strategies and Amazing Stories from Warren Buffett, Nelson Mandela, Kim Jong Un, Hugo Chávez, and More

William Ury, cofounder of Harvard’s Program on
Negotiation, is one of the world’s best-known experts on
negotiation. He is coauthor of Getting to Yes, the all-time
best selling negotiation book in the world; the author of one of
my favorite books on negotiation (Getting Past No: Negotiating in
Difficult Situations); and author of the new
book: Possible: How We Survive (and Thrive) in an
Age of Conflict.


Please enjoy!


Timestamps for this episode are available below.


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Timestamps:


[00:00] Start


[06:53] Connecting with Roger Fisher.


[10:08] Devising Seminars.


[12:31] Negotiating the Camp David Accords.


[18:23] Writing the other side's victory speech.


[21:17] Writing Kim Jong-un's victory speech.


[26:20] Pondering possibilities in the modern Middle East.


[29:26] Lessons from iconic possibilist Nelson Mandela.


[32:17] Going to the balcony.


[36:11] Mitigating the risk of emotional spiraling with Hugo
Chávez.


[40:50] The power of silence.


[44:09] Respect and saving face.


[51:08] Best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA).


[1:02:49] The trust menu.


[1:06:29] The positive no.


[1:12:14] Closing on a positive note.


[1:14:56] What prompted William to write Possible?


[1:19:38] Negotiating as a creative endeavor.


[1:22:48] Sabbatical considerations.


[1:23:56] Exercise and self-care routines.


[1:29:27] Uncovering interests, not just positions.


[1:35:18] Hopes for the impact of Possible.


[1:37:25] Parting thoughts.


*


Resources from this episode:
https://tim.blog/2024/02/13/william-ury/


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