So much has been written about integrative negotiation where the goal is often win-win, that we forget that another type of negotiation exists as well — distributive. In this blog published today on Huffington Post, “Are Republicans Crazy? No!” you can read about how distributive negotiation (win-lose) is being used by the Republicans — why to them a shut-down of the government makes sense. Has the culture in D.C. become distributive all around? That may well be at the heart of our problems. It’s not something likely to change overnight. And some degree of distributive negotiation can even be healthy within a larger integrative format. But we’re past that point in Washington. With senators and congressmen talking to empty chambers and communication via speeches, effective negotiation is a stretch. You have to wonder what would have happened if Jefferson went for coffee whenever John Adams or George Washington got up to speak. That’s what we have now. And it’s downright dangerous.
