Many successful negotiations which resulted in win-win outcomes, have been guided by the principles of the Harvard-Concept, if not always consciously. But this approach, whose founder, Professor Roger Fisher modestly described as ‘well organized common sense’, does not always automatically lead to success. Even under the Harvard Method, success must be worked for, and is a function of both good preparation and good execution.

For many years, the researchers and practitioners at Harvard have also served actively as global advisors and mediators in situations of conflict. Their philosophy of negotiation, as first formulated in 1981 and since then continually expanded, has played a decisive role in achieving successful outcomes in at least the following challenging situations:

• Easing American-Soviet Cold-War Tensions
• Peace Process in Central America
• Constitutional Negotiations in South Africa
• Near-East Peace Talks: Camp David Accords
• Release of American Hostages in Iran
• Conclusion of International Maritime Law Conference
• Mediation in negotiations between social partners: 

For more detail on some of these as well as the most current applications of the Harvard Method to real world problems, please see: www.pon.harvard.edu/blog (Daily Blog)

Egger Philips draws on all this but also on extensive feedback on real-world application of ‘Open negotiation based on the Harvard-Concept®’ from our training participant’s daily practice. For reasons of confidentiality, we of course cannot give names of these clients. But these examples are rooted in all manner of real negotiation situations, from private relationships through business dealings and into the realm of political conflicts. It is no accident that all our negotiation experts also regularly practice: as advisors, professional negotiators, but above all as mediators. In some cases we can also draw on reviewed case material from our own professional experience, should this prove necessary.

In all of our dealings with our clients, our cooperation partners and also with each other, we at Egger Philips strive, not only as negotiators, to “walk the talk”, to always act as role-models for a philosophy of win-win. We think that is what has made our company successful.