Michael Wheeler

Background

About Michael Wheeler

Mike Wheeler is an authority on negotiation theory and practice. Since joining the Harvard Business School faculty in 1993, he has taught negotiation and leadership to thousands of MBA and Executive Program students. In 2017 his eight-week Negotiation Mastery course launched on HBS Online. It has now been taken by leaders, managers, and students from 162 countries around the globe. He cheerfully admits that over the years he’s become a something of a contrarian. Specifically, he’s skeptical about popular one-size-fits-all approaches, whether they’re of the “win-win” or “take no prisoners” variety. Instead, his view is that great negotiators are also great improvisors. They are agile strategically and quick on their feet moment-to-moment. After all, the people you deal with have their own hands on the steering wheel, too. You can’t script what they choose to say and do, any more than you’d let them dominate you. Adaptability is key for negotiation success from start to finish. For more about this approach, see his Jazz of Negotiation newsletter, which launched in January, 2021. Much of the content is free: https://wheeler.substack.com/p/welcome. Wheeler also has created the Negotiating with Agility course on LinkedIn Learning, as well as the Negotiation 360 self-assessment/best practice app for iOS and Android devices. He cohosts the Agility at Work podcast with Dr. Kimberlyn Leary. His other research interests include emotion and inter-personal dynamics; computer-based technologies for teaching, managing, and studying negotiation; and negotiation ethics. His book, The Art of Negotiation: How to Improvise Agreement in a Chaotic World, is available in ten languages. It draws on best practices in other fields where improvisation is essential, including jazz, medical diagnosis, and even military doctrine. For a full profile and a list of his publications see: