With negotiations so much in the news these days (EU, UK steel making, NHS junior doctors and possibly US electoral conventions to name a few), this might be a good moment to look at the subject of negotiation in a bit more depth.

It is nicely bookended by two pieces of Huthwaite International research: one the observational study that revolutionised the way many negotiators have been trained to think and act at ever since; the other a global survey completed and published just last year. Highlights cover:

• How organisations are practicing their negotiation skills today
• Skilled use of verbal behaviours and how they affect the negotiation
• Making the most of preparation time with a view on the end game

There’s plenty to go wrong in even the most trivial negotiation. And in the big, important ones, mistakes can be costly and very difficult to unravel. Skill and knowledge are a better insurance policy than trusting to luck and native cunning.