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5 Negotiating Tips Inspired By The Epic Battle Over The Future Of The Colorado River
Water from the Colorado River flows through the All American Canal Hydro-Electric Plant Drop 4, eventually reaching the Imperial Valley, approximately 80 miles downstream from the plant.
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Zaydee Sanchez
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LAist
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A conversation with negotiations expert Victoria Medvec.
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“Imperfect Paradise: The Gen Z Water Dealmaker” is about JB Hamby, the 28-year-old lead negotiator for California who is in charge of protecting the state’s access to Colorado River water during the worst drought ever on the waterway.
Negotiating skills are going to become increasingly important in the future, as climate change complicates our access to — and the availability of — resources like water.
In Part 4 of our series, Victoria Medvec, author of Negotiate Without Fear and professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, joins host Antonia Cereijido to break down what lessons she thinks we can learn by looking at the negotiations around the Colorado River.
Among those lessons:
Reduce egocentric bias: Medvec says that one of the biggest mistakes she sees in negotiations is when people only focus on their own needs and do not take into consideration what the other party or parties’ interests are. She says that she’s seen Hamby move from an egocentric position to a more open one and thinks it's a good strategy.
Broaden the issues at the negotiating table: If you are negotiating around really contentious issues, sometimes it’s better to bring new issues to the table that can help get you leverage on the issues you care about most. Medvec uses the hypothetical example of bringing in something like education around the river to offset the pressure around how much water each state is allotted.
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Make the first offer: It's really important to lead the conversation and not to follow. Medvec also recommends to “go in with multiple offers rather than a single offer. And I mean multiple offers all at the same time. Because doing that will allow … a stronger starting point advantage with a stronger anchor.”
Highlight gain to maintain the status quo, highlight loss to move off: If you are happy with the current status of things, you have to highlight how things are stable. For instance, there was a lot of rain last year and so for the states that use Colorado River water and are happy with their access, they should highlight that it was a year of stability. However, if you want terms to change drastically, you have to create a sense of urgency. This could mean pointing to how climate change has greatly depleted the amount of water in the Hoover Dam where Colorado River water is collected.
And lastly, know your opponent’s worst case scenario: “Sometimes people don't want a deal," Medvec says. "People sometimes want an impasse and they're engaging to distract. They're not engaging to get to agreement.” She suggests you ask yourself, “What is their best outside alternative? What happens if we don't get an agreement to them? And what does it mean for them?” That way you know if you’re wasting your time.
How can I listen? Here's Part 4:
Host Antonia Cereijido speaks with negotiations expert Victoria Medvec about how to make the best possible deal. Medvec also helps identify ways the Colorado River water rights representatives could still change tactics and reach an agreement before time runs out.
New episodes of Imperfect Paradise: The Gen Z Water Dealmaker publish Wednesdays wherever you get your podcasts, on LAist.com, and on broadcast at LAist 89.3 the following Sunday.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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