shackle a negotiator to assumptions that prevent him from
seeing and hearing all that a situation presents, then perhaps
an enhanced receptivity to the unknown unknowns can free
that same negotiator to see and hear the things that can
produce dramatic breakthroughs.
From the moment I heard the tale of June 17, 1981, I
realized that I had to completely change how I approached
negotiating. I began to hypothesize that in every negotiation
each side is in possession of at least three Black Swans,
three pieces of information that, were they to be discovered
by the other side, would change everything.
My experience since has proven this to be true.
Now, I should note here that this is not just a small tweak
to negotiation technique. It is not coincidence that I
embraced Black Swan as the name of my company and the
symbol of our approach.
Finding and acting on Black Swans mandates a shift in
your mindset. It takes negotiation from being a one-
dimensional move-countermove game of checkers to a
three-dimensional game that’s more emotional, adaptive,
intuitive . . . and truly effective.
Finding Blacks Swans is no easy task, of course. We are
all to some degree blind. We do not know what is around
the corner until we turn it. By definition we do not know
what we don’t know.
That’s why I say that finding and understanding Black
Swans requires a change of mindset. You have to open up
your established pathways and embrace more intuitive and
darren dugan
(Darren Dugan)
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