How we work

Many negotiators focus solely on tactics ‘at the table’. We take a wider view.

Our proprietary approach incorporates the latest thinking from leading negotiation experts, detailed in the bibliography below. At its core, it builds on the pioneering ‘3D’ framework developed by Harvard’s David Lax and James Sebenius. We adapt this for the specific challenge of public-private negotiations, by incorporating multidisciplinary analysis and a deep understanding of public sector decision-making from our experience in multiple jurisdictions.

  • Babcock, L., & Laschever, S. (2021). Women don’t ask: Negotiation and the gender divide. Princeton University Press.

    Bazerman, M. H., & Malhotra, D. (2007).  Negotiation genius: How to overcome obstacles and achieve brilliant results at the bargaining table and beyond. Tantor Media.

    Fisher, R., Ury, W., & Patton, B. (2006). Getting to yes (2nd ed.). Penguin Putnam.

    Heifetz, R. A. (1994). Leadership without easy answers. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

    Lax, D. A., & Sebenius, J. K. (2006). 3-d negotiation: Powerful tools to change the game in your most important deals. Harvard Business Review Press.

    Malhotra, D. (2018).  Negotiating the impossible: How to break deadlocks and resolve ugly conflicts (without money or muscle). Berrett-Koehler.

    Mnookin, R. (2010). Bargaining with the Devil. Simon & Schuster.

    Podziba, Susan L. (2012). Civic fusion: Mediating polarized public disputes. ABA Publishing.

    Powell, J. (2010). Great hatred, little room: Making peace in Northern Ireland. Vintage Digital.

    Schelling, T. C. (1990). The strategy of conflict (2nd ed.). Harvard University Press.

    Sebenius, J. K., Burns, R. N., & Mnookin, R. H. (2018). Kissinger the negotiator: Lessons from dealmaking at the highest level. HarperCollins.

    Susskind, L. E., McKearnen, S., & Thomas-Lamar, J. (2013). The consensus building handbook: A comprehensive guide to reaching agreement. SAGE Publications.

    The Arbinger Institute. (2006). The anatomy of peace: Resolving the heart of conflict. Berrett–Koehler.

    Voss, C., & Raz, T. (2017).  Never split the difference. Random House Business Books.

    Walton, Richard E., Cutcher-Gershenfeld, Joel E., & McKersie, Robert B. (1994). Strategic negotiations: A theory of change in labor-management relations. Harvard Business School Press.

    Walton, Richard E. & McKersie, Robert B. (1965). A behavioral theory of labor negotiations. Cornell ILR Press.

    Weiss, J. (2020). The Book of Real-World Negotiations. Wiley.

    Wheeler, M. (2013). The art of negotiation. Simon & Schuster.

  • Lax, David A, and James K Sebenius. 3-D Negotiation : Powerful Tools to Change the Game in Your Most Important Deals. Boston, Mass., Harvard Business School Press, 2006.

Working with us 

Our role is to help you plan and deliver your most effective negotiation. No two negotiations and no two clients are the same. We will work with you to shape our contribution around your existing capabilities and capacities, as an external advisor or fully embedded within your team. 

However you choose to work with us, we will always act as a trusted, confidential partner to your existing team and other advisers.

We offer strategic negotiation guidance, backed by deep analysis and experience. Our skilled mediators resolve impasses and restore relationships. And, we facilitate post-negotiation learning, enhancing organisational readiness for future negotiations.