Podcast on Negotiation

• On lobbying with Michael Koplovsky

  Lobbying is often portrayed as a mysterious arena where influence meets policy. But at its heart, lobbying is built on negotiation, balancing interests, crafting agreements, and building trust under pressure.In our next episode, we sit down with Michael Koplovsky, a multilingual EU lobbyist, former senior diplomat, and professor whose career spans five continents and some of the most complex political and crisis environments in the world. From forging civil-military cooperation in war zones to advancing public-private partnerships in Europe’s political institutions, Michael has seen lobbying and negotiation at their most intense.In this wide-ranging conversation, Michael takes us through his unique career journey, explaining how his path from diplomacy to academia and ultimately into lobbying unfolded and why negotiation has always been the common thread linking them together. He sheds light on what lobbyists really do beyond the usual stereotypes, and why their work is so often misunderstood. We explore the surprising similarities between lobbying and negotiation, as well as the subtle differences that shape how each plays out in practice.Michael shares vivid stories from the “war rooms” where advocacy campaigns are mapped out, and from the high-level tables where policy shifts are decided. He speaks candidly about both successes and failures in lobbying, highlighting the lessons negotiators can draw from each. We discuss the challenge of negotiating when multiple stakeholders with competing interests are at the table, and how to strike the right balance between quiet relationship-building behind the scenes and formal deal-making in the spotlight.The conversation also touches on the ethical responsibilities lobbyists carry when shaping policy outcomes, and how much of their work depends on integrity and trust. Michael reflects on how lobbying has changed in recent years, shaped by technology, social media, and even the rise of AI, and what this means for the future of influence and negotiation. Looking back across his career, he distills the single most important negotiation lesson he has learned and shares who comes to his mind when he thinks about true greatness in negotiation.With advanced degrees in National Security, Strategic Studies, and International Relations, and years of teaching negotiation, leadership, and communication, Michael bridges theory and practice like few others can. His vivid anecdotes from political capitals and crisis zones alike offer insights you won’t find in textbooks.Whether you are a negotiation professional, a student, or simply curious about how influence is really shaped in the political world, this episode pulls back the curtain on lobbying as negotiation in action.

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• On lobbying with Michael Koplovsky

  Lobbying is often portrayed as a mysterious arena where influence meets policy. But at its heart, lobbying is built on negotiation, balancing interests, crafting agreements, and building trust under pressure.In our next episode, we sit down with Michael Koplovsky, a multilingual EU lobbyist, former senior diplomat, and professor whose career spans five continents and some of the most complex political and crisis environments in the world. From forging civil-military cooperation in war zones to advancing public-private partnerships in Europe’s political institutions, Michael has seen lobbying and negotiation at their most intense.In our conversation, Michael takes us through his unique career journey, explaining how his path from diplomacy to academia and ultimately into lobbying unfolded and why negotiation has always been the common thread linking them together. He sheds light on what lobbyists really do beyond the usual stereotypes, and why their work is so often misunderstood. We explore the surprising similarities between lobbying and negotiation, as well as the subtle differences that shape how each plays out in practice.Michael shares vivid stories from the “war rooms” where advocacy campaigns are mapped out, and from the high-level tables where policy shifts are decided. He speaks candidly about both successes and failures in lobbying, highlighting the lessons negotiators can draw from each. We discuss the challenge of negotiating when multiple stakeholders with competing interests are at the table, and how to strike the right balance between quiet relationship-building behind the scenes and formal deal-making in the spotlight.The conversation also touches on the ethical responsibilities lobbyists carry when shaping policy outcomes, and how much of their work depends on integrity and trust. Michael reflects on how lobbying has changed in recent years, shaped by technology, social media, and even the rise of AI, and what this means for the future of influence and negotiation. Looking back across his career, he distills the single most important negotiation lesson he has learned and shares who comes to his mind when he thinks about true greatness in negotiation.With advanced degrees in National Security, Strategic Studies, and International Relations, and years of teaching negotiation, leadership, and communication, Michael bridges theory and practice like few others can. His vivid anecdotes from political capitals and crisis zones alike offer insights you won’t find in textbooks.Whether you are a negotiation professional, a student, or simply curious about how influence is really shaped in the political world, this episode pulls back the curtain on lobbying as negotiation in action.

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• On AI in negotiation with Yadvinder Rana

  AI is entering the negotiation room, not as a silent observer, but as a highly effective tool shaping how we prepare, communicate, and reach agreements. From guiding our preparation to AI-driven coaching, from real-time performance feedback to agent-based simulations, artificial intelligence is beginning to revolutionize the way we approach negotiations in business, diplomacy, and beyond. To explore this exciting frontier, I’m joined by Yadvinder S. Rana, a negotiation expert who bridges research, practice, and AI innovation. With a background in cross-cultural negotiations and B2B dealmaking, Yadvinder has spent his career investigating how professionals can consistently achieve optimal outcomes, even in environments marked by uncertainty, limited trust, or overwhelming complexity. His recent work explores how AI can support human negotiation, responsibly and effectively. His empirical research shows that AI-augmented support can lead to 48% better individual outcomes and up to 84% more joint value when both parties use structured AI tools. To put these findings into practice, he developed the ALIGN Framework, a methodology that provides 24/7 expert-quality negotiation assistance powered by AI, no steep learning curve required. Yadvinder works with procurement and sales leaders navigating complex B2B negotiations, helping them adopt AI tools that drive superior preparation and value creation. He also partners with consulting and training firms to integrate AI-enhanced negotiation into their services. In our conversation, we explore what AI can, and crucially, cannot do in the context of negotiation, examining both its practical capabilities and its current limitations. We discuss how AI is already being used in negotiation training and education, from intelligent simulations to personalized feedback systems. We also dive into the ethical and relational dilemmas that arise when AI tools are introduced into real-time negotiations, including questions of trust, transparency, and agency. A key part of our discussion focuses on whether machines can truly grasp complex human dynamics like power, trust, and cultural nuance. Finally, we reflect on how negotiation professionals can best prepare for an AI-augmented future and what skills will remain essential in an increasingly automated world.

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• On negotiating with Aristotle with Rudolf Schüssler

  Following our earlier episode on Immanuel Kant and the role of truth and lies in negotiation, we return to the world of philosophy, this time with a thinker who approached ethics from a different angle: Aristotle. What would Aristotle say if he were advising a modern-day negotiator? In this episode, we’re joined by Rudolf Schüssler, a distinguished philosophy professor from the University of Bayreuth, to explore how Aristotle’s timeless ideas can shed light on negotiation. Together, we discuss Aristotle’s concept of phronesis, or practical wisdom, and ask what it truly means to be a wise negotiator, not just someone who wins deals, but someone who understands what is good, fair, and sustainable in the long term. We also examine Aristotle’s famous triad of persuasion, ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic), and discuss how this rhetorical framework can help negotiators craft more compelling arguments, build trust, and communicate more effectively across differences. As we move into the ethical dimension, Rudolf reflects on whether Aristotle’s virtue ethics can be applied to modern negotiations. Is there space for integrity in a world often driven by power and outcomes? And what kind of character traits should a negotiator cultivate to not only be persuasive, but also remain principled and respected? Ultimately, we ask: What might an “Aristotelian negotiator” look like today? And how can Aristotle’s thinking help us become better not only at negotiation, but also through negotiation, as individuals and as members of a shared moral community? Whether you’re an academic, a business professional, a student of philosophy, or simply curious about how ancient wisdom meets modern strategy, this episode offers a rare and insightful conversation that bridges two worlds and may just change the way you approach your next negotiation.

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• On trust in intercultural negotiation with Mariusz Sikorski

  In this episode, we disucss one of the most essential and most elusive elements of successful negotiation: trust. What exactly is trust, and why does it matter so much at the negotiating table? Our guest, Mariusz Sikorski, who is a practitioner and researcher specializing in intercultural negotiation, walks us through the foundations of trust, unpacking its definition and exploring the many ways it influences negotiation outcomes, often before a single word is spoken.Our conversation is rooted in a comprehensive literature review on this topic: Sikorski, M. T. & Albrecht, A., (2025) “Trust in the Context of Intercultural Negotiations - A Systematic Review”, Negotiation and Conflict Management Research 18(1), 1-41. doi: https://doi.org/10.34891/a0mc-jx98 published at the Negotiation and Conflict Management Research journal (NCMR). We explore the process behind this selection and the patterns that emerged across decades of research. From there, we discuss the challenges and opportunities of trust-building in intercultural negotiations, where assumptions, values, and expectations often collide.Is it true that we naturally trust people who are more like us? And if so, what happens when the person sitting across from us has a completely different background, worldview, or communication style? We examine how cultural similarity and difference affect our ability to connect, and how negotiators can bridge that gap intentionally. Our guest shares strategies for building trust both with culturally similar and dissimilar counterparts, going beyond surface-level rapport to deeper forms of relational trust.A key theme in the episode is cultural adaptability: how negotiators can read the room, interpret cues, and flex their own behavior to create more trusting environments. We also uncover some of the surprising and even contradictory findings from the literature, instances where conventional wisdom about trust doesn't hold up, or where cultural context changes the rules entirely.Beyond theory, this episode is packed with practical advice for negotiators and companies operating across borders. Whether you're closing a deal, managing a partnership, or leading a multicultural team, the insights shared here will help you build trust more consciously and effectively. We also reflect on the gaps in the literature, what we still don’t know about trust in negotiation—and where future research could go next.Whether you're a seasoned dealmaker or just starting to negotiate across cultures, this episode offers a thoughtful, research-backed, and actionable perspective on one of negotiation’s most human dimensions.

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