Many people dislike the word "negotiation". Some even avoid it altogether. When we hear the term, we often imagine conflict, pressure, confrontation or difficult conversations. We picture demanding customers, aggressive salespeople or tense salary discussions. It is therefore not surprising that many people feel uncomfortable when they find themselves in a negotiation situation. The reality is quite different. We negotiate every day. We negotiate deadlines with colleagues, priorities with...

How past experiences, small signals and quiet assumptions shape what happens at the table. The deal was fine. The trust wasn’t. I was in a negotiation not long ago where, on paper, everything looked perfectly reasonable. The offer made sense, the people involved were experienced, and the discussion itself was structured, polite and — at least on the surface — professional. And yet something felt off. The other side communicated in a very controlled way. Their answers were precise, but somehow...

Why misunderstandings – not strategy – often derail global deals International cooperation has become routine in modern business. Teams, suppliers and customers frequently work across borders and cultures, and negotiations often involve partners from very different backgrounds. Yet when negotiations become difficult, the explanation is often sought in strategy, pricing or technical issues. In practice, the real cause is sometimes much less obvious. Misunderstandings about language,...