Power Plays and Tricky Tactics: Negotiating with Difficult People

What It Is: A negotiation-skills simulation from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business and Forio, built around nine video scenarios in which a professional actor enacts a specific "power play" or "tricky tactic" during a startup co-founders' negotiation, requiring learners to recognize and respond to the tactic in real time. 

Why It Matters: Negotiators are often reluctant to practice "going negative" with peers in a classroom setting, leaving them unprepared for real-world tactics designed to pressure or manipulate. The simulation's focus on recognizing power plays — rather than just responding to good-faith disagreement — offers a useful parallel to the distinction between legitimate influence and undue pressure covered elsewhere in this collection. 

How to Use It: Use with government-affairs, procurement, or business-development teams to build comfort recognizing and responding to coercive negotiation tactics before they're tested in a live deal or policy negotiation.