The Wizard and Dorothy, Patton and Rommel: Negotiation Parables in Fiction and Fact

Abstract

Over time, mastery of fundamental principles, together with hands-on experience, begins to yield favorable results at the negotiation table. Whether the parables by which the principles are illustrated are, in the end, fiction or fact is of secondary import; it is the lesson learned that is the key. To this end, this article will use two well-known yet disparate Hollywood motion pictures to demonstrate the skills required of a successful negotiator. The first is a work of pure fantasy, the classic MGM release of The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland. The second cinematic example is drawn from the movie Patton, starring George C. Scott as the mercurial, larger-than-life World War II General, George S. Patton.