Find Mediators Near You:

A New Anagram from Michael Leathes

Business Conflict Blog by Peter Phillips

The irrepressible — and for many of us irreplaceable — Michael Leathes has spread the word of a new proposal, for an international negotiation initiative called the International Negotiation Initiative, or INI.

Leathes, author of the recent and excellent book Negotiation: Things Corporate Counsel Need to Know But Were Never Taught (enthusiastically reviewed here) is putting flesh on the bone of one of the central propositions of his book: that skilled negotiation is not intuitive but rather a strategic exercise of developed skill — and a critically necessary one to the well-managed enterprise.  He floats the idea that a global, trans-cultural and well-funded non-profit entity should be established whose mission is to promote skills of achieving consensual outcomes; to develop and articulate core concepts of negotiation; to “bridge gaps in access” to these skills for those who need but can’t afford world-class negotiation training; and to provide a collaborative platform for scholars, trainers and practitioners of negotiation.

Leathes, former in-house counsel at BAT, was a founder of IMI, which is generously supported by ICC, CEDR, AAA, JAMS, SIAC, GE and others.  It assists the formation of QAPs, drives the YMI Initiative, was critical to the recent success of the GPC project, and advocates international independent standards through its ISC.  Leathes notes that the IACM, meeting in Philadelphia in July, will feature a session on the proposed INI and invites contributions to the discourse through INI’s website, linked here.

And why not, I say.  ML has always been A-OK with me!

                        author

F. Peter Phillips

F. Peter Phillips is a commercial arbitrator and mediator with substantial experience providing consultation on the management of business disputes to companies around the globe. A cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College and a magna cum laude graduate of New York Law School, Mr. Phillips served for nearly ten years… MORE >

Featured Mediators

ad
View all

Read these next

Category

How to End a Negotiation Tug of War

Knowing someone’s interests can unlock negotiations in ways you never thought possible. “Agree to 20 percent less and we have a deal,” said the university dean. She and I were...

By Tammy Lenski
Category

Contract Negotiations: “A Sophisticated Ballet Often Ending in Mid-Pirouette”

Negotiations of the type I mediate on a regular basis are rarely the subject of appellate opinions -- at least not the part of negotiations we call the "dance." Having...

By Victoria Pynchon
Category

Say Cheese – Cracker Barrel Signs Mediation Agreement with the EEOC

From the First Mediation Blog of Jeff Krivis and Mariam Zadeh. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. have signed a Universal Agreement...

By Jeffrey Krivis, Mariam Zadeh
×