Extreme Anchor #2

Timothy Chester

As a CIO, negotiation is part of my daily work—whether it’s advocating for ideas, allocating resources, or diplomatically saying “no.” Fifteen years ago, I took a course from Chester Karrass, a renowned negotiator, after reading about him in an airline magazine. Though the course focused on sales, I walked away with a deeper understanding of topics like concessions, overcoming an impasse, and competitive vs. cooperative negotiations. More recently, I’ve explored Chris Voss’s approach, which focuses on relationship-building and what he calls “tactical empathy.”

Timothy Chester

In today’s Dispatch, we explore one of the most powerful—and often misunderstood—tactics in negotiation: extreme anchoring. We’ll look at how it works, why it’s effective, and how to recognize and respond to it in high-stakes conversations. Whether you’re leading change, shaping policy, or navigating institutional politics, knowing how to use extreme anchors—and respond to them—is a skill worth mastering.