Have you always considered negotiation merely as a means to secure a “yes”? The 7 Tensions of Negotiation robustly challenges that comforting yet fundamentally flawed belief.
Blending elements of law, psychology, and enriched by over four decades of real-life negotiation experience, Cash Nickerson, JD ’85, MBA ’93, masterfully immerses the reader in the nuanced, intricate, and mind-bending world of negotiation tensions. He thoughtfully introduces the idea of positive tension-based elements that are absolutely crucial for achieving successful negotiations: Relationship Tension, where trust takes the center stage; Power & Leverage Tension, which challenges all parties’ perceptions of who truly holds the cards; and Timing Tension, a subtle yet continuously pivotal factor that underpins the entire negotiation process.
Nickerson skillfully shatters the prevailing myth that merely “getting along” is the most effective pathway through negotiations. He boldly calls for a critical paradigm shift in our collective mindset, vehemently challenging the widespread culture of “tension avoidance” and advocating the skilled mastery of these tensions as a game-changing strategy for achieving superior negotiation outcomes. By learning to adeptly manage these often uncomfortable yet powerful forces, you’ll significantly improve not only your deal-making abilities but also the broader landscape of human interaction.
Readers can expect to deeply:
Gain a fresh, eye-opening perspective on the undervalued role of tension in negotiations.
Discover insightful negotiation strategies that are firmly rooted in real-world scenarios and groundbreaking research.
Bolster their capacity for resilience and adaptability during stressful, high-stakes interactions.
Embrace tension as a transformative tool, rather than an inconvenient roadblock, and witness how your negotiation outcomes can dramatically and positively improve. It’s time to fully dispense with your preconceived notions of negotiation as merely a realm of compromise and comfort, and instead, open your eyes and mindset to the thrilling dynamic possibilities that constructive tension offers.
About the author
Steven “Cash” Nickerson is Chairman & CEO of Nickerson Stoneleigh, Inc., a private investment firm he founded with its headquarters in Dallas. He was Chairman of North America of AKKA Technologies, SE, based in Brussels, Belgium, prior to its sale to Adecco SA, based in Zurich, Switzerland. He was President, CFO, General Counsel, and the second largest shareholder of PDS Tech, Inc. prior to its sale to AKKA Technologies, SE. Previous roles include corporate attorney and marketing executive for Union Pacific Railroad, associate and then a partner at Am Law 200 law firm, Jenner & Block, and Chairman and CEO of a tech company. he is an avid writer and speaker on negotiation, the workplace, jobs, and the economy. Nickerson is the founder and president of the David H. Nickerson Foundation, which supports prostate cancer research.
In addition to his leadership on the Washington University Board of Trustees, Nickerson serves on the Advisory Board of WashU Law and is a member of the International Council of the Whitney R. Harris World Law Institute. He is chair of both the Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin-San Antonio Regional Cabinets and chaired the North and Central Texas Regional Campaign for Leading Together: The Campaign for Washington University. Nickerson is the recipient of the Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Award (2009), the Global Philanthropy Award for the Harris Institute Crimes Against Humanity Initiative (2010), the School of Law Distinguished Alumni Award (2013), and the Founders Day Distinguished Alumni Award (2014). He earned his bachelor’s degree from Carleton College and his MBA and JD from Washington University in St. Louis, where he was an editor of the law review. He is an adjunct faculty member at WashULaw teaching Business Lawyering and Negotiation.