Harvard Business School: What Shows Like ‘The Office’ and ‘Friends’ Can Teach Us About Negotiation.

The Office and Friends can teach us a lot about negotiation. By learning from the mistakes of the characters in these shows, we can become better negotiators ourselves.

The Office

Be prepared. In the episode “The Injury,” Michael Scott tries to negotiate a settlement with Toby Flenderson, a human resources representative who was injured in a workplace accident. Michael is completely unprepared for the negotiation, and he ends up giving Toby a much larger settlement than he intended.
Don’t be afraid to walk away. In the episode “Dinner Party,” Michael and Jan Levinson-Gould try to negotiate a new contract with their wedding planner. Michael is determined to get a good deal, but he is unwilling to walk away from the negotiation if he doesn’t get what he wants. As a result, he ends up paying the wedding planner more money than he originally budgeted.
Be willing to compromise. In the episode “The Negotiation,” Michael tries to negotiate a new salary with his boss, David Wallace. Michael is initially unwilling to compromise, but he eventually realizes that he needs to be willing to give a little in order to get what he wants. As a result, he is able to negotiate a new salary that is higher than his current salary, but lower than what he was originally asking for.

Friends

Know your audience. In the episode “The One Where Ross Dates a Student,” Ross Geller tries to negotiate a higher salary with his boss. Ross is unaware that his boss is under pressure from the dean to cut costs. As a result, Ross’s boss is not willing to give him the raise he is asking for.
Be clear about your goals. In the episode “The One Where Joey Enters a Box,” Joey Tribbiani tries to negotiate a new salary with his agent. Joey is not clear about what he wants, and he ends up agreeing to a lower salary than he is worth.
Be confident. In the episode “The One With the List,” Monica Geller tries to negotiate a lower rent with her landlord. Monica is confident in her negotiating skills, and she is able to get a lower rent payment.

Quotes about Negotiation

“During a negotiation, it would be wise not to take anything personally. If you leave personalities out of it, you will be able to see opportunities more objectively.” ~Brian Koslow
“You must never try to make all the money that’s in a deal. Let the other fellow make some money too, because if you have a reputation for always making all the money, you won’t have many deals.” ~J. Paul Getty
“If you are planning on doing business with someone again, don’t be too tough in the negotiations. If you’re going to skin a cat, don’t keep it as a house cat.” ~Marvin Levin
“Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” ~John F. Kennedy
“Never forget the power of silence, that massively disconcerting pause which goes on and on and may last induce an opponent to babble and backtrack nervously.” ~Lance Morrow
“Reverse psychology is an awesome tool. I don’t know if you guys know about it, but, basically, you make someone think the opposite of what you believe. And that tricks them into doing something stupid. Works like a charm.” ~Michael Scott, The Office