Customer Reviews

Improvisational Negotiation: A Mediator's Stories of Conflict About Love, Money, Angerand the Strategies That Resolved Them

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jazz enthusiast and mediator extraordinaire, Author Jeff Krivis, brings to life, the realities of living in the moments of mediation. His stories are filled with the subtleties of human communications, human frailties and the power of man's ability to resolve impossible conflict. From the simple to the complex, the serious to the sublime, Jeff has captured many poignant mediation turning points and dissected them for the reader's education and skill building. Whether you are a highly experienced mediation professional, or just getting seated in the neutral's chair, Improvisational Negotiation is a humble and worthwhile read.

Mr. Krivis has succeeded in creating a very entertaining and resourceful book that anyone in the conflict resolution arena would find a must read, including attorneys, mediators, claims adjusters, negotiators, human resource personnel, private parties in conflict, and the list could go on and on.

I enjoyed the book because it was written with such detail and specificity in a John Grisham type style, yet at the same time it was also very educational and applicable. The material was so good and entertaining that I found myself at the end of each chapter saying, "Okay, one more chapter then I'll go to bed." Then a half hour later, "Okay, really just one more chapter."

Mr. Krivis has shared in this book many valuable tools that I have already applied in my private practice as an attorney and mediator. I can testify that they have tremendously benefitted my clients and my practice. For this reason, I find myself referring to the book weekly and frequently recommending it to my colleagues. Thanks for the great read Mr. Krivis and subsequent enhancement to my practice. This book is a must read!

I have been a parenting consultant for twenty-five years, working with single parents, married couples and divorced couples. This book was inspiring to me. There were many instances where I never would have thought to ask the questions or use the strategies that the Mediator used but they were so on-target and helpful that I will definitely incorporate them into my practice now! The book is easy to read and the summaries at the end of the anecdotes ("What Strategies Can We Learn?") are a bonus. I ordered an extra copy of this book to lend to my clients.

I enjoyed reading this book. In addition to the Hip-Pocket Guide to Strategy, which is excellent, this author is a masterful storyteller. His tales are not simple, though. They record decisions people have made in difficult circumstances; Some involve relationship and communication breakdowns while others are mostly about money, still others involve negotiators whose decision making depends on finding creative solutions or on using information strategically. As the author recounts these cases from his own experiences and those of colleagues, he shows us how mediators lead negotiators toward resolution. Each of the thirty examples is followed by a discussion of the techniques and approach used by the mediator. Some criticisms are offered, with the benefit of hindsight of course. The presentation of each case, the analysis of the techniques used and the author's reflections on the experience enables the reader to see each of these mediations from the perspective of a master mediator. A book that does all this deserves to be highly recommended.

Jeffrey Krivis has mediated thousands of cases in practically every imaginable legal area. A former trial attorney, he has been a successful mediator for over 15 years, and has served as the president of the International Academy of Mediators and the Southern California Mediation Association. He has taught various courses and workshops on mediation and dispute resolution and in 1993 he received the Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year Award. His website [...] is filled with a wide array of helpful information.

Improvisational Negotiation takes the unusual approach of showing by example how mediation can help parties reach mutually beneficial solutions. This book forgoes any long-winded discussions of philosophy or the rigid use of a formulaic approach to conflict resolution. Instead, Krivis has filled this book with thirty stories - mostly taken from his own experience. He succinctly explains the disputes in a few pages and then shows how a mediator uses a variety of tools and skills to bring the parties together to settle their conflicts before they end up in the courtroom.

After each case is brought to a conclusion, Krivis summarizes the keys to resolving the negotiations in a short section called "What Happened?" He then concludes with a section called "What Strategies Can We Learn?" where he briefly lists the approaches taken that led to a successful resolution. This is a very entertaining way to show how various approaches are often needed to bring divergent positions to a common ground.

Krivis organizes the stories into sections dealing with:

· Rebuilding Communication Breakdowns and Healing Broken Relationships;

· Financial Negotiations and Using Information for a Better Deal;

· Useful and Proven Techniques For Difficult Technical Negotiations; and

· Advanced Techniques for Negotiations that are Locked Down.

Improvisational Negotiation is filled with entertaining stories and helpful techniques used to bring parties together. Krivis understands that no two cases are alike and that no two mediators work in the same way. He expects that these stories will provide a broad guideline to various approaches that

mediators can use in their practice. He recognizes that "mediators need to change their approach not only from case to case but also within the same case." He writes in the introduction that he hopes "the stories in this book encourage you to follow a similar path: to search the length and width of the field, anticipating the direction of the case, constantly maneuvering the parties toward the deal."

This book is filled with great examples of creative and successful mediations - along with an analysis of the techniques used to bring the parties together. Krivis clearly knows his stuff. Mediators and lawyers will find in this book many examples of ways to solve problems that at first blush appear to be nearly impossible. My only criticism of the book is that some of the stories presented point to a fairly obvious solution. Others involve lawyers allowing their clients to engage in somewhat questionable conduct - such as talking privately with the opposing lawyer with only the mediator present, or disclosing information to opposing counsel that might expose the client to even more liability.

On the whole, however, this book excels at showing just how effective mediation can be when done with skill and finesse.

I am just starting out as a mediator and have found this book both inspiring and practically helpful. Krivis's case studies are extremely specific and just long enough to give you the story, but not so long that you wonder when he's going to get to the point. His stories demonstrate a mixture of mediation approaches--transformative, facilitative, and directive. I think I'll read it again after I get a few more mediations under my belt.

I found this book to be very entertaining and insightful. Highly recommended for the potential mediators.

I often look at reviews for practical advice, i.e., if people like me read the book and get something out of it, then I want it. Well, as a trial lawyer and as someone who would benefit a lot from doing my best at mediation, Jeff Krivis' book is a DEFINITE READ. Mr. Krivis' style is clear and very easy to understand. After setting forth various fact patterns that an experienced lawyer might see, he shows how different approachs to meditation settle the case. This is a window into how to a top mediator thinks about your case and the strategies he uses to help both sides resolve their differences. What could be better?

In case I wasn't clear - BUY THIS BOOK.

I have been a full time mediator for seven years. Before that, I was a litigator. At times, I utilized Mr. Krivis' expertise as a mediator. I recall thinking: "This man's an alchemist. He settles all of my cases, but does so in a different way each time. He truly is an improvisational genius." Now, through his new book, Krivis gives me some insight into his practice. This book should be required reading for anyone currently mediating the litigated case. It should also be read by litigators. The analysis sections at the end of each chapter provides a wealth of information for sorting out differences of all kinds. Don't wait for the jury, ladies and gentlemen. The verdict is in: Krivis is a master mediator with an inpired approach to conflict management and resolution.

What do love, money, anger and conflict have in common? Among other things, pioneer Southern California mediator Jeff Krivis. Now this legendary "closer" has written an original and engaging new book "Improvisational Negotiation: A Mediator's Stories of Conflict About Love, Money, Anger and the Strategies That Resolved Them".

Focusing on the "human dynamic" involved in dispute resolution, Krivis' book reads more like a fast-paced novel than a work of non-fiction. In 30 riveting chapters, Krivis takes the reader behind the scenes and far beneath the surface of conflicts that everyday people face and his (and others) strategies for their resolution. Given the general public's overwhelming interest in the law and what lawyers do, this book should enjoy an appeal far beyond the sphere of dispute resolution professionals.

It deserves a wide audience.