Transformative Negotiation - by Sarah Federman

About the Book

"This book fills longstanding gaps in negotiation, a field that too often assumes everyone in diverse societies navigates the same realities. Elite solutions do not trickle down easily to those breaking cycles of poverty and disempowerment. Asking your boss for a raise at a tech company, for example, requires a different negotiation strategy than asking Social Services to help you get your kids back from the court. Context matters. This book makes central how heritage, ethnicity, wealth, gender, age, education, and other factors influence what we ask for, how people respond to our requests, as well as what is at stake when we negotiate. The same strategies used in the boardroom--if deployed in the streets--can lead to dangerous altercations. Based on the wisdom of over 100 individuals who negotiate successfully from the margins, the book provides tools for those who need them most and a guide for instructors and managers wishing to support them"--

Book Synopsis

A 2023 Porchlight Best Business Book Awards Winner

"Takes the whole subject of negotiation out of the corporate boardroom and very effectively situates it squarely in the world of everyday people."--Kirkus Reviews

A contemporary and inclusive how-to guide to everyday negotiation that centers social justice and equity.

Transformative Negotiation advances an understanding of power and oppression as core to negotiation, arguing that negotiation is central to social mobility and social change. Bringing theory into action, the book explores the real-world examples that Sarah Federman's own students bring to class, such as negotiating with courts to get their kids back or with the IRS to reduce late fees.

Federman explains how heritage, ethnicity, wealth, gender, age, education, and other factors influence what we ask for and how people respond to our requests, as well as what is at stake when we negotiate. This book provides tools to help readers gain confidence in their everyday negotiation skills and link personal success to social transformation.

From the Back Cover

"Takes the whole subject of negotiation out of the corporate boardroom and very effectively situates it squarely in the world of everyday people."--Kirkus Reviews

"Highly recommended! Get ready to shatter barriers and embrace your full potential with this book. It's a must-read for anyone who wants to create a more equitable world. With a keen eye for the power dynamics that often perpetuate marginalization, Sarah Federman offers a wealth of insights and practical tools to help negotiators find untapped sources of influence and make meaningful impact. Whether you are a novice negotiator or seasoned leader, this book will empower you to negotiate with strength and purpose."--Daniel L. Shapiro, Director of the Harvard International Negotiation Program

"This is a fantastic read. I greatly loved and appreciated how Sarah Federman provided a wide range of significant personal and community-based topics, such as social justice, while upholding the integrity and emphasis on conflict resolution. This book is essential reading for community mediation practitioners."--Renata Valree, Community Mediator and Adjunct Professor of Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding at California State University, Dominguez Hills

"Federman's work is pathbreaking. I have been in the field of negotiation and conflict resolution for three decades, and this book fills a glaring gap in the negotiation literature. Expanding our understanding of what negotiation looks like in minority and underrepresented communities, this book will serve not only those communities but everyone who wishes to learn more about challenging disputes and how to resolve them."--Donna Hicks, author of Leading with Dignity: How to Create a Culture That Brings Out the Best in People

"Transformative Negotiation strikes a difficult and provocative balance, providing practical guidance for those of us negotiating for better in a biased world while advocating for "win-win-win" approaches that steer us interpersonally and structurally toward more dignifying terrain."--Tehama Lopez Bunyasi, coauthor of Stay Woke: A People's Guide to Making All Black Lives Matter

"Negotiating when you've been outcast by society requires different skills and grit than when you're navigating from within. Transformative Negotiation shows how to do this and how to be an equitable leader."--Chris Wilson, author of The Master Plan, My Journey from a Life in Prison to a Life of Purpose

"This is negotiation for real life, from the margins, and for social change. I cannot recommend this book enough! We need more of this kind of work that adapts and develops existing conflict resolution theory and practice to support a diverse range of people in vastly different circumstances."--Samantha Hardy, author of Conflict Coaching Fundamentals: Working With Conflict Stories

Review Quotes

"An immense contribution to the field of negotiation and to dispute resolution."-- "Negotiation Journal"

"A fresh and ambitious take on the art of negotiating. . . . With great insight and precision, Federman considers how the experiences of the socially mobile are useful for understanding negotiation practices in new ways--e.g., by considering examples of people negotiating with courts to reduce their alimony or to avoid eviction. . . . Essential."-- "CHOICE"

About the Author

Sarah Federman (http: //www.sarahfederman.com) is Associate Professor of Conflict Resolution at the University of San Diego's Kroc School of Peace Studies. Federman is the author of several books including the award-winning Last Train to Auschwitz: The French National Railways and the Journey to Accountability. She comes to this work after a decade as an international advertising executive negotiating in over 10 countries with companies such as Google, Discovery, Bloomberg, and the NFL.