INTRODUCTION
With a seemingly more moderate Hasan Rouhani replacing a demonstrably intransigent and defiant Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president of Iran, a new window of opportunity may present itself with regards to nuclear negotiations. Rouhani's robust support is indicative of the Iranian people's discontent with the 'no compromise" foreign policy of the previous administration and the economic suffering that it has wrought in its wake. This sentiment in fact, was explicitly stated by Ali Akbar Veleyati, Iran's former foreign minister and supreme leader's foreign policy advisor when he said: "Our nuclear negotiations definitely have problems; otherwise we would not be in our current situation". (To be sure however, Rouhani's hands could still be somewhat tied if not tightly handcuffed, by an unyielding Supreme Leader Khamenei who may still insist on the old-time hard line positions).
Even though Iran has unquestionably been a difficult negotiating partner in the past, the negotiation strategy of the P5+1 (the United States, China, France, Russia, the UK, plus Germany) has also left a lot to be desired. As we embark on a potentially new era of nuclear negotiations with Iran, it is time we carefully examined our missteps along the way and devised a new strategy in order to exploit this time of possible opportunity.
In this edition of "Negotiation Strategies" I will offer three areas in which I believe US negotiation strategy failed and how we might correct it for future negotiations. I will also apply the lessons to the kinds of negotiations that we as people, professionals and businesses are involved in on a more regular basis.
Even though Iran has unquestionably been a difficult negotiating partner in the past, the negotiation strategy of the P5+1 (the United States, China, France, Russia, the UK, plus Germany) has also left a lot to be desired. As we embark on a potentially new era of nuclear negotiations with Iran, it is time we carefully examined our missteps along the way and devised a new strategy in order to exploit this time of possible opportunity.
In this edition of "Negotiation Strategies" I will offer three areas in which I believe US negotiation strategy failed and how we might correct it for future negotiations. I will also apply the lessons to the kinds of negotiations that we as people, professionals and businesses are involved in on a more regular basis.
