I know; you're probably wondering what in the world "The Charge of the Light Brigade" (which took place during the Battle of Balaclava in the 1854 Crimean War) has to do with mindset and negotiation. Well, plenty, actually.

The Charge, in which the British Calvary and her allies met the Russian artillery head-on, should have been successful. Instead, it was a disaster because the troops were sent in the wrong direction. And while it is true the commanders who sent those brave men riding into that valley of shell and rifle fire, cannon balls and certain death, were at fault; the real blame lay in biases and poor planning. (See Biases in article here)  

Said differently, the blame lay in mindsets.

And while 161 years later, we are not the cavalry riding into battle; many of us bring a mindset to the negotiation table that says 'win', regardless of the loss to ourselves or to others.

So, before we charge in and create a skirmish that no one really ends up winning, let's examine 'mindset'. Let's think this through.

And on a completely different note for our Canadian readers, Happy Thanksgiving!