
OK
About George J. Siedel
Professor Siedel completed graduate studies at the University of Michigan and Cambridge University. He served as a visiting professor at Stanford University and Harvard University and as a Visiting Scholar at Berkeley. As a Fulbright Scholar, he held a Distinguished Chair in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Professor Siedel has received several national research awards, including the Maurer Award, the Ralph Bunche Award, and the Hoeber Award. He has also received many teaching awards, including 2014 and 2018 Executive Program Professor of the Year Awards from a consortium of 36 leading universities committed to international education. In 2018, he received the Distinguished Career Achievement Award from the Academy of Legal Studies in Business.
Customers Also Bought Items By
Are you an author?
Author Updates
There's a problem loading this menu right now.
Negotiation is also the key to business success. No organization can survive without contracts that produce profits. At a strategic level, businesses are concerned with value creation and achieving competitive advantage. But the success of high-level business strategies depends on contracts made with suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders. Contracting capability—the ability to negotiate and perform successful contracts—is the most important function in any organization.
This book is designed to help you achieve success in your personal negotiations and in your business transactions. The book is unique in two ways. First, the book not only covers negotiation concepts, but also provides practical actions you can take in future negotiations. This includes a Negotiation Planning Checklist and a completed example of the checklist for your use in future negotiations.
The book also includes (1) a tool you can use to assess your negotiation style; (2) examples of “decision trees,” which are useful in calculating your alternatives if your negotiation is unsuccessful; (3) a three-part strategy for increasing your power during negotiations; (4) a practical plan for analyzing your negotiations based on your reservation price, stretch goal, most-likely target, and zone of potential agreement; (5) clear guidelines on ethical standards that apply to negotiations; (6) factors to consider when deciding whether you should negotiate through an agent; (7) psychological tools you can use in negotiations—and traps to avoid when the other side uses them; (8) key elements of contract law that arise during negotiations; and (9) a checklist of factors to use when you evaluate your performance as a negotiator.
Second, the book is unique in its holistic approach to the negotiation process. Other books often focus narrowly either on negotiation or on contract law. Furthermore, the books on negotiation tend to focus on what happens at the bargaining table without addressing the performance of an agreement. These books make the mistaken assumption that success is determined by evaluating the negotiation rather than evaluating performance of the agreement. Similarly, the books on contract law tend to focus on the legal requirements for a contract to be valid, thus giving short shrift to the negotiation process that precedes the contract and to the performance that follows.
In the real world, the contracting process is not divided into independent phases. What happens during a negotiation has a profound impact on the contract and on the performance that follows. The contract’s legal content should reflect the realities of what happened at the bargaining table and the performance that is to follow. This book, in contrast to others, covers the entire negotiation process in chronological order beginning with your decision to negotiate and continuing through the evaluation of your performance as a negotiator.
A business executive in one of the negotiation seminars the author teaches as a University of Michigan professor summarized negotiation as follows: “Life is negotiation!” No one ever stated it better. As a mother with young children and as a company leader, the executive realized that negotiations are pervasive in our personal and business lives. With its emphasis on practical action, and with its chronological, holistic approach, this book provides a roadmap you can use when navigating through your life as a negotiator.
La negociación además es clave para el éxito de los negocios. Ninguna organización puede sobrevivir sin contratos que generen ganancias. A un nivel estratégico, los negocios están estrechamente vinculados con la creación de valor y la consiguiente consecución de ventajas competitivas. Pero el éxito de las estrategias comerciales de alto vuelo dependerá de los contratos celebrados con proveedores, clientes y socios comerciales. La capacidad de contratación, esto es la habilidad de negociar y lograr contratos exitosos, es la función más importante de toda organización.
Este libro ha sido concebido para ayudarte a alcanzar resultados exitosos en tus negociaciones personales y en tus transacciones comerciales. Es único desde dos perspectivas: por un lado, no sólo cubre conceptos de negociación, sino que también proporciona acciones prácticas a seguir en futuras negociaciones, incluyendo una lista de chequeo para la planificación de la negociación y un ejemplo práctico de esa lista de chequeo completa.
También incorpora: (1) una herramienta de evaluación de tu estilo personal; (2) ejemplos de “árboles de decisión”, útiles para calcular tus alternativas en caso de frustración de la negociación; (3) una estrategia de tres etapas para incrementar tu poder durante la negociación: (4) un plan práctico para analizar tus negociaciones en consideración a distintas variables, entre ellas tu precio de reserva y zona de probable acuerdo, entre otros; (5) lineamientos claros en estándares éticos aplicables a la negociación; (6) factores a considerar al decidir si deberías negociar a través de un agente; (7) herramientas psicológicas que puedes utilizar, y modos para eludirlas si las plantea la otra parte; (8) elementos esenciales del Derecho Contractual; y (9) una lista de chequeo de factores a utilizar cuando evaluas tu desempeño como negociador.
En segundo término, el libro es único en cuando propone un enfoque global y general para todo el proceso de la negociación. Otras obras se focalizan sea en la negociación, o bien en el Derecho Contractual, concentrándose en este último caso, en cuestiones y requisitos específicos desde el punto de vista legal para que un contrato sea válido, sin considerar otros aspectos.
En el mundo en que vivimos, el proceso de contratación no puede ser desmenuzado en fases o compartimentos estancos. Lo que ocurre durante una negociación tiene un impacto profundo en el contrato y en el desempeño consiguiente. El contenido legal del contrato debería reflejar lo que sucedió en el marco de la negociación. Este libro, a diferencia de otros, cubre íntegramente el proceso de negociación en orden cronológico, comenzando con tu decisión de negociar, continuando con la evaluación de tu propio desempeño como negociador.
A negociação também é a chave para o sucesso do negócio. Nenhuma organização pode sobreviver sem contratos que geram lucros. A um nível estratégico, as empresas estão preocupadas com a criação de valor e em alcançar uma vantagem competitiva. Mas o sucesso das estratégias de negócios de alto nível depende de contratos fechados com fornecedores, clientes e outras partes interessadas. A capacidade de contratação—a capacidade de negociar e executar contratos bem sucedidos—é a função mais importante em qualquer organização.
Este livro foi desenvolvido para ajudá-lo a alcançar o sucesso em suas negociações pessoais e transações de negócios. O livro é único em duas maneiras. Primeiro, o livro não só abrange os conceitos de negociação, como também oferece ações práticas que você pode aplicar em futuras negociações. Isso inclui uma Lista de Verificação de Planejamento de Negociação e um exemplo completo da lista de verificação para o seu uso em futuras negociações.
O livro também inclui (1) uma ferramenta que você pode usar para avaliar o seu estilo de negociação; (2) exemplos de “árvores de decisão”, que são úteis para calcular suas alternativas se sua negociação não for bem sucedida; (3) uma estratégia de três partes para aumentar o seu poder durante as negociações; (4) um plano prático para analisar suas negociações com base no seu preço de reserva, meta de expansão, alvo mais provável e zona do potencial acordo; (5) orientações claras sobre os padrões éticos que se aplicam às negociações; (6) os fatores que devem ser considerados ao decidir se você deve negociar através de um agente; (7) ferramentas psicológicas que podem ser usadas durante as negociações—e armadilhas que devem ser evitadas quando você estiver do outro lado; (8) elementos fundamentais do direito de contratos que surgem durante as negociações; e (9) uma lista de fatores para usar quando você avaliar seu desempenho como negociador.
Segundo, o livro é único em sua abordagem holística para com o processo de negociação. Muitas vezes, outros livros se concentram apenas na negociação ou no direito dos contratos. Além disso, os livros de negociação tendem a focar no que acontece na mesa de negociação sem abordar o desempenho de um acordo. Estes livros fazem uma suposição equivocada de que o sucesso é determinado pela avaliação da negociação, em vez de avaliar o desempenho do acordo. Da mesma forma, os livros sobre direito de contratos tendem a focar nos requisitos jurídicos para um contrato ser válido, dando pouca atenção ao processo de negociação que precede o contrato e ao desempenho que se segue.
No mundo real, o processo de contratação não é dividido em fases independentes.
The Three Pillar model originated in a leadership course that every Harvard MBA student takes before graduation. The Harvard course is based on three lenses of decision making: economics, law, and ethics. The Three Pillar model expands these lenses by replacing “economics” with “strategy.” With this change, the model becomes a powerful tool for personal and leadership decisions, as well as for business decisions.
This book takes you through four steps that enable you to use the Three Pillar model for business decisions:
Step One: Become a legally savvy leader. This does not require memorization of legal rules. Instead, you should understand how the law works in practice. Various surveys have identified the key legal areas that every business leader should understand: product liability, employment law, government regulation, intellectual property, contracts, and dispute resolution. This book provides briefings on each area and shows how they impact your key stakeholders: customers, employees, government, and investors.
Step Two: Become an effective risk manager. After your briefings on the law, you are now ready to focus on the Law Pillar. The Law Pillar emphasizes risk management. This book explains how to manage the legal risks that constitute the main threat to your business success. For example, the chapter on product liability will describe how to make strategic new product decisions, how to isolate product risks by creating subsidiaries, and how to design new products to minimize the risk of being sued for selling a defective product.
Step Three: Align the Strategy Pillar with the Law Pillar to create value. Many leaders think that there is an inherent tension between the Strategy Pillar, with its value creation orientation, and the Law Pillar, with its risk management orientation. This book explains how you can overcome this tension and align the two pillars by focusing on the interests of each of your stakeholders. For example, by focusing on customer interests, a process designed to prevent product liability can be transformed into a powerful product development tool.
Step Four: Develop an ethical organization. Understanding the Ethics Pillar of decision making enables you to play a leadership role in developing compliance and values standards for your organization. This role requires that you “walk the talk” by using a principled process for making ethical decisions. By combining the Ethics Pillar with the Law Pillar and the Strategy Pillar, you can become a responsible corporate citizen while at the same time creating value for your shareholders and other stakeholders.
Once you master the Three Pillar model for business decisions, you can easily apply the model to personal decisions and to leadership in any organization.
Savvy managers no longer look at contracts and the law reactively but use them proactively to reduce their costs, minimize their risks, secure key talent, collaborate to innovate, protect intellectual property, and create value for their customers that is superior to that offered by competitors. To achieve competitive advantage in this way managers need a plan. Proactive Law for Managers provides this plan; The Manager's Legal PlanTM.
George Siedel and Helena Haapio first discuss the traditional, reactive approach used by many managers when confronted with the law, then contrast it with a proactive approach that enables the law and managers' legal capabilities to be used to prevent problems, promote successful business, and achieve competitive advantage. Proactive Law for Managers shows how to use contracts and the law to create new value and innovate in often neglected areas – and implement ideas in a profitable manner.
Savvy managers no longer look at contracting processes and documents reactively but use them proactively to reach their business goals and minimize their risks. To succeed, these managers need a framework and A Short Guide to Contract Risk provides this. The foundation of identifying and managing contract risk is what the authors call Contract Literacy: a set of skills relevant for all who deal with contracts in their everyday business environment, ranging from general managers and CEOs to sales, procurement and project professionals and risk managers.
Contracts play a major role in business success. Contracts govern companies' deals and relationships with their suppliers and customers. They impact future rights, cash flows, costs, earnings, and risks. A company's contract portfolio may be subject to greater losses than anyone realizes. Still the greatest risk in business is not taking any risks. Equipped with the concepts described in this book, business and risk managers can start to see contracts differently and to use them to find and achieve the right balance for business success and problem prevention.
What makes this short guide from the authors of the acclaimed Proactive Law for Managers especially valuable, if not unique, is its down-to-earth managerial/legal approach. Using lean contracting, visualization and the tools introduced in this book, managers and lawyers can achieve legally sound contracts that function as managerial tools for well thought-out, realistic risk allocation in business deals and relationships.
La négociation est aussi la clé de la réussite en affaires. Aucune organisation ne peut survivre sans contrats rentables. D’un point de vue stratégique, les sociétés cherchent à créer de la valeur et à représenter un avantage compétitif. Mais le succès de ces stratégies commerciales de haut vol dépend des contrats passés avec les fournisseurs, les clients et autres parties prenantes. La capacité à passer des contrats ─ la faculté de négocier et de conclure des contrats réussis ─ est la fonction la plus importante de toute organisation.
Avec ce livre, je souhaite vous aider à atteindre le succès dans vos négociations personnelles et dans vos transactions d’affaires. Cet ouvrage est unique à deux égards. D’abord, il ne traite pas uniquement des concepts de négociation, mais vous fournit également des actions pratiques à entreprendre dans vos négociations futures. Il comprend une liste de vérification pour planifier vos négociations.
Le livre inclut aussi (1) un outil que vous pouvez utiliser pour évaluer votre style de négociation ; (2) des exemples d’« arbres de décision », qui sont utiles pour calculer vos solutions alternatives dans le cas de négociations infructueuses ; (3) une stratégie en trois parties visant à augmenter votre pouvoir au cours des négociations ; (4) un plan pratique pour analyser vos négociations, en fonction de votre prix de réserve, de votre objectif étendu, de votre cible vraisemblable et de votre zone d’accord possible ; (5) des consignes claires sur les normes éthiques à appliquer aux négociations ; (6) des facteurs à prendre en compte lorsque vous décidez si vous devez passer par un intermédiaire pour négocier ; (7) des outils psychologiques à employer en négociation ─ et les pièges à éviter lorsque c’est l’autre partie qui les utilise ; (8) des éléments clés du droit des contrats qui interviennent au cours des négociations ; et (9) une liste de facteurs à utiliser lorsque vous évaluez votre performance de négociateur.
Par ailleurs, le livre est unique par son approche holistique du processus de négociation. D’autres livres se concentrent exclusivement sur la négociation ou le droit des contrats. De plus, les ouvrages sur la négociation ont tendance à cibler ce qui se produit autour de la table des négociations, sans traiter de la conclusion de l’entente. Ces livres partent du principe erroné que l’on détermine le succès en évaluant la négociation plutôt que la mise en œuvre de l’accord. De même, les ouvrages sur le droit des contrats tendent à se concentrer sur les exigences légales nécessaires pour qu’un contrat soit valide, ne donnant ainsi que peu de place au processus de négociation qui précède le contrat et l’exécution qui suit.
The articles in this collection were written by leading US employment law experts. In selecting these articles, the goal was to include articles that are concise, clearly-written, practical, and relevant to the responsibilities of business owners, managers, and human resource professionals—and to their legal advisors.
The result is a mixture of two types of articles. Some articles focus on fundamental, recurring legal concerns. These include, for example, articles on employer responsibilities relating to holiday activities, off-duty conduct, record keeping, reductions in force, retaliation, seasonal workers, severance agreements, trade secrets, and workplace violence.
Other articles address issues that have recently received national attention as a result of changes in the business and legal environment. These include articles on employer responsibilities relating to criminal background checks, Bring Your Own Device policies, workplace bullying, electronic communications, “leaning in,” obesity, social media, telecommuting, and workplace wellness programs.
The articles are organized into four groupings. The first group (“Opening Test”) will test whether you have a sound understanding of employers’ legal responsibilities. The second group (“Broad Coverage”) includes review articles that summarize legal developments in 2013 and agendas for 2014. Articles in the third group (“Global Concerns”) address US employers’ increasing concerns with the legal environment outside the United States. The fourth group of articles (“Specific Topics”) comprises most of the book and covers specific topics relating to ongoing and emerging legal responsibilities of employers.
We hope that the resources in this book will help you achieve business success in a responsible manner.