Press Release: Negotiating the Impossible

Negotiating the Impossible

New book teaches readers how to break deadlocks and resolve ugly conflicts

By Deepak Malhotra

“Negotiating the Impossible delivers on its promise. By using historically significant seemingly intractable negotiations as examples, Malhotra provides practical lessons for the everyday negotiations in your life— including the three surprising ‘levers’ at your service when the use of force is not a viable option. This book is magic for any deal maker.” —Daniel H. Pink, Author of Drive and To Sell Is Human

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Conflict has existed since before humans could walk upright, and no amount of evolution will ever change that, but what can change is HOW humans deal with it. When negotiations break down and resolution seems hopeless, this new book by negotiation consultant and Harvard Professor, Deepak Malhotra, can help. He shares his
de-escalation secrets in Negotiating the Impossible: How to Break Deadlocks and Resolve Ugly Conflicts (ISBN-13: 978-1-62656-697-2, Hardcover, $27.95). This handy guide can help anyone defuse even the most potentially explosive scenarios and find a solution to seemingly impossible situations.

Malhotra also has a knack for showing how these same principles and tactics can be applied in everyday life, from negotiating job offers and resolving business disputes to tackling obstacles in personal relationships and even dealing with children.

Malhotra identifies three broad strategies for moving beyond an impasse in the negotiating process. Reframe the situation so that the offer looks more attractive to the other side (without actually changing anything). Shape the negotiation process from the beginning, so that it works to your advantage. Adopt the opposing view—not because of any feelings of kindness or leniency, but because it offers a better sense of what kinds of solutions they might go for.

Malhotra explains each of these strategies through behind-the-scenes stories of intense past and present real-life negotiations, and he teaches readers how to beat the odds in complex business negotiations. Examples in the book include; the drafting of the U.S. Constitution, the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis, bringing peace to Northern Ireland, and ending bitter disputes in the NFL and NHL.

Deepak Malhotra is a professor in the Negotiations, Organizations & Markets Unit at Harvard Business School. He teaches negotiation in the MBA program and in a wide variety of executive education programs. He has been published in top journals in the fields of management, psychology, and conflict resolution and has won numerous awards for both his teaching and his research.

More praise for the book:

“If you want the best advice on how to negotiate when it looks like a deal can’t be done, then Negotiating the Impossible is a must. It’s filled with great strategies you can immediately put to use in your business and personal lives. It’s also an extremely entertaining, thought-provoking book that you won’t want to put down.”
— Tyra Banks, CEO, TYRA Beauty, and creator of America’s Next Top Model

“Deepak Malhotra has done what few others could do: he draws upon the lessons of history to demonstrate that even the worst conflicts can be resolved. This book is especially significant because it gives both the inspiration and the tools you need to tackle extremely difficult negotiations.”
— David Gergen, Senior Political Analyst, CNN; adviser to four US presidents; and Co-director, Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School

“If only we could lock the world’s leaders in a room to read this book. Professor Malhotra’s analysis of how negotiators can achieve the best possible outcomes for all sides is revelatory. It also starkly highlights what’s missing in current negotiations—whether on refugees, on peace in Syria, or on Eurozone debt. This is a must-read for all practitioners of politics and public service.”
— Ngaire Woods, Founding Dean, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, and adviser to the IMF Board, UNDP’s Human Development Report, and Commonwealth Heads of Government

“Professor Malhotra is a rare academic with real expertise in the world of negotiation and diplomacy. He gets his hands dirty and has worked behind the scenes on some of the most difficult negotiations of our time. Professor Malhotra sees what others don’t see—and he has written it all down in Negotiating the Impossible.”
— Jonathan Powell, former Chief of Staff to Tony Blair; chief British negotiator on Northern Ireland; founder of Inter-Mediate; and author of Talking to Terrorists

“Negotiating the Impossible is a tour de force. Professor Malhotra is both a leading academic and an amazing storyteller; he has also been in the trenches and knows firsthand what it takes to tackle even the most difficult of situations. Whether you’ve done one deal or a hundred, this book will change how you negotiate. I will be giving it to everyone on my team.”
— Vinod Khosla, venture capitalist and founder of Khosla Ventures