Kwame Christian is an attorney, mediator and the director of the American Negotiation Institute, which organizes workshops to help people navigate difficult conversations at work and at home. Kwame is also the host of the top ranked negotiation podcast Negotiate Anything, and the author of ‘Nobody will play with me, using compassionate curiosity to find confidence in conflict’.

In our conversation, Kwame explains why he chooses to live in a constant state of conflict. We also discuss why women need their own negotiation podcast, how preparation can help to find confidence in conflict and why slowing down is critical to success in difficult conversations.

Here are some of the episode’s highlights with timestamps:

• 0:49 – How Kwame turned from an outcast into a pleaser, avoiding conflict at all cost

• 14:20 –Prescriptive vs. descriptive stereotypes and how it affects women in negotiations

• 32:37 – Preparing for difficult conversations through visualization

• 49:45 – Kwame's Compassionate Curiosity framework

• 1:04:31 – The role of power in difficult conversations and negotiations

For more information, key quotes and links related to this episode, please go to the full show notes at www.meetingstrategist.org/kwame-christian

About this podcast

Welcome to Meeting Strategist. On this podcast, Marcel van de Hoef interviews professionals and thinkers from the worlds of investment, business and arts about their approach to business conversations. You'll hear inspiring stories about impactful meetings, while also learning about the strategies, tactics and mindsets these guests rely on to make meetings more constructive.

Marcel is an Amsterdam-based communication advisor and trainer and the curator of the Meeting Strategist blog. His mission is to help senior professionals think more strategically about meetings, ask better questions, improve their listening skills and have more meaningful conversations in business and life. Learn more and stay up to date at meetingstrategist.org