4. Behavior

Competitive vs. Problem-Solving Negotiations (The Opportune Conflict, Episode One)

The Opportune Conflict is a conflict resolution and decision-making audio/video project I've been wanting to start for a while now, where I take a nugget of theory I find interesting and try to make it a bit more relatable and applicable to every day life.

This episode is on competitive vs. problem-solving styles of negotiation. I take a look at what those roughly mean, their implications in more formal negotiations, and then how that relates to our every day lives, with an easy focus at the end on learning to become more aware of which style we might be using and whether that's the right style to be using.

I referenced a few resources, and here those are:

Latz, M. (2010). Gain the edge!: Negotiating to get what you want (1st ed.) [Kindle].

Ury, W. (2007). Getting past no: Negotiating with difficult people. Enhanced Audio.

For more references, links, articles, or to contact me, visit my website: DavidWAngel.com.

The Power of Being Present: My Dog Is a Good Listener

Have you ever had a conversation with a dog?

The other day, I had a sarcastic conversation with my corgi along the lines of “aw, you have no idea what I am saying, but since I am saying it in an excited voice you think it’s important!” And my dog, not knowing any better, gave me her full attention. Her head was tilted, her ears perked up; surely there was something important in what I was saying.

On the Use of Force

For the person using force, it is voluntary. It is the ultimate expression of one-sided decision-making, where one’s personal power is unilaterally utilized. But for the person force is used against, choice is denied. Force is coercive, and that coercion is force’s trademark. It is the attempt to impose one person’s decision upon someone else. Force, therefore, contains a sense of irony. It is the use of one’s self-autonomy to deny another of their self-autonomy.