Ethos Business Law

If you have ever been to Minnesota, or better yet lived there, you have probably experienced “Minnesota Nice.”  Typically, Minnesota Nice is characterized by polite friendliness, an aversion to confrontation, a tendency toward understatement, a disinclination to make a fuss or stand out, emotional restraint or self-deprecation.  What happens when Minnesota Nice enters the negotiating room?  Often times, it can lead to difficult or failed negotiations.

Unfortunately, Minnesota Nice isn’t really about being “nice” at all. It’s more about keeping up appearances and avoiding confrontation.  Moreover, it can also be used as a negotiation tool, which causes confusion, misunderstanding and frustration among other participants.  So, what do you do when you are in a negotiation and you are confronted with “Minnesota Nice?”  Here are a few tips: (more…)