Mind and Heart of the Negotiator, Second Edition, The

Chapter 5. Developing a Negotiating Style

When U.S. trade representative Charlene Barshefsky goes to the bargaining table to work out trade deals, she dons her signature silk scarves and hammers away. Once, she went without sleep for 51 hours to pound out a trade agreement with Japan; speaking in perfect turns of phrase, she was able to grind down the other side. Her colleagues were so impressed that they nicknamed her “Stonewall.” She has also been called “Dragon Lady”: In a negotiation with China, she threatened to pack her bags and leave for the airport, cueing her negotiation partner, Gene Sperling, a White House aide, to stalk theatrically away from the table after her. Some have described Barshefsky as a “sharp instrument,” a “woman warrior ...