A NOTE TO THE DEVELOPER and their ATTORNEY:

The REAL ART of NEGOTIATION:  Takers, Matchers & Givers

It occurred to us recently, that how one negotiates is a direct reflection of both the individual as well as society itself.  As our readership considers how, we as a community approach collaborating (vs. negotiating) with developers and one another in our community, it may be worth reflecting on whether or not we are behaving as "matchers" or "givers" or simply as "takers" respectively.  

This recent article by Brooke Allen is something that ALL PARTIES involved, from City Council, Council Candidates, City Staff, NEIGHBORS, the Developer's Personnel Team, including local Attorneys and Consultants might enjoy and benefit from reading.  We love it!  Please read on.  ((Brooke Allen has worked for 30 years in the securities industry as a proprietary trader and hedge fund manager))

His article begins with some reflection:  

Twenty years ago, I developed a powerful approach to negotiating that goes beyond “win-win.” It involves starting by offering the most and asking for the least. It works extremely well, but I was unable to explain why until I read Wharton professor Adam Grant’s excellent new book Give and Take.

Adam identifies three types of people: 
1. Takers try to get as much as possible from others
2. Matchers seek an even trade (quid pro quo), and 
3. Givers contribute without expectation of return.

Previously, I’d thought of things more in terms of debt and honor.

My parents raised me to believe that borrowing and then not returning is the moral equivalent of stealing. Put in the language of giving and taking, borrowing is a form of taking where I get what I want now and put my honor at risk in the future. Repaying my debt later only elevates me to the status of matcher, but not giver...Read the full article here

Also worth reading is a recent article in Quartz about preserving historic neighborhoods and what it means for affordable housing.