Beyond Tactics

What if winning a negotiation isn't the same as achieving the best outcome?

In high-stakes negotiations, disputes, and decisions, the biggest mistake may not be making the wrong move. It may be continuing the fight when the cost of failure has become too great.

In Beyond Tactics, Eric C. Boughman challenges conventional approaches to negotiation by asking a critical question: What happens if this goes badly?

Drawing on more than twenty years of experience in negotiation, litigation, advising, and mediation, Boughman introduces the RECO Method™ (Realistic Exposure to a Catastrophic Outcome), a practical framework for identifying serious risks before they become costly realities.

Through real disputes, historical examples, behavioral science, and practical strategy, Beyond Tactics shows you how to:

• Identify the risks that matter most before a dispute escalates
• Make catastrophic outcomes visible without using fear or manipulation
• Recognize when persistence is creating more risk than value
• Think strategically beyond the next move or concession
• Build practical off-ramps before conflicts become harder to resolve
• Make better decisions when the stakes are high and information is incomplete

Designed for business professionals, attorneys, mediators, advisors, and anyone facing consequential decisions, this book offers a fresh perspective on negotiation and conflict resolution.

Because the smartest move isn't always finding a better way to fight. Sometimes, it's recognizing when the fight itself has become the greatest risk.