Saturday morning in the Quarter

I strolled over to Cafe Du Monde early this morning for a beignet before today's first program on negotiating and positioning in conflicts. While nothing more than a glorified funnel cake, it's just not a trip to NO without getting one. This morning's program reminds of a book I recently read, Executive Intelligence. Being able to recognize underlying agendas, understanding multiple perspectives, and anticipating likely emotional reactions all while maintaining the priority of the underlying issue is a trait that can help break any impasse, whether it occurs in city hall or at the Capitol. We're now discussing specific examples from members where (1) a solution was reached and (2) where talks broke down, sessions were shut down, etc., and what happened in the most critical part of the talks that led to the outcome.