#721: Master Negotiator William Ury — Proven Strategies and Amazing Stories from Warren Buffett, Nelson Mandela, Kim Jong Un, Hugo Chávez, and More

William Ury, cofounder of Harvard’s Program on Negotiation, is one of the world’s best-known experts on negotiation. He is coauthor of Getting to Yes, the all-time best selling negotiation book in the world; the author of one of my favorite books on negotiation (Getting Past No: Negotiating in Difficult Situations); and author of the new book: Possible: How We Survive (and Thrive) in an Age of Conflict. Please enjoy! Timestamps for this episode are available below. Sponsors: Helix Sleep premium mattresses: https://helixsleep.com/tim (25% off all mattress orders and two free pillows) AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: https://drinkag1.com/tim (1-year supply of Vitamin D (and 5 free AG1 travel packs) with your first subscription purchase.) Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: https://www.shopify.com/tim (Start for free, then get your first 3 months for $1/mo.) Timestamps: [00:00] Start [06:53] Connecting with Roger Fisher. [10:08] Devising Seminars. [12:31] Negotiating the Camp David Accords. [18:23] Writing the other side's victory speech. [21:17] Writing Kim Jong-un's victory speech. [26:20] Pondering possibilities in the modern Middle East. [29:26] Lessons from iconic possibilist Nelson Mandela. [32:17] Going to the balcony. [36:11] Mitigating the risk of emotional spiraling with Hugo Chávez. [40:50] The power of silence. [44:09] Respect and saving face. [51:08] Best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA). [1:02:49] The trust menu. [1:06:29] The positive no. [1:12:14] Closing on a positive note. [1:14:56] What prompted William to write Possible? [1:19:38] Negotiating as a creative endeavor. [1:22:48] Sabbatical considerations. [1:23:56] Exercise and self-care routines. [1:29:27] Uncovering interests, not just positions. [1:35:18] Hopes for the impact of Possible. [1:37:25] Parting thoughts. * Resources from this episode: https://tim.blog/2024/02/13/william-