. Back in 2006, representatives of wind-energy developers started knocking on the doors of Wyoming ranchers. They were seeking to persuade the ranchers to sell the rights to build wind turbines on their land. Often they controlled the information and made very low offers. Typically, the developers build wind farms by leasing large blocks of land from many different landowners in western states. They also intimidated smaller ranchers and threatened to put them out of business. Ranchers began signing leases without knowing the true value of the wind sweeping across their land.

U.S. Department of Agriculture program coordinator Grant Stumbough heard about the wind developers crisscrossing Wyoming and had a brainstorm: by working together, the ranchers might be able to get better deals. When the conversation with the developers became angry they took a step back and found common ground to build a step by step process to get an agreement. Stumbough formed a wind association model in which ranchers and farmers pool as much as 100,000 acres of their land, negotiate leasing rights with wind developers as a group, and divide the profits. Eight wind associations now exist in Wyoming alone, and the model is catching on in other western states. Preparation and coalitions are powerful, as a network of organizations (and sometimes people) that work together to achieve a greater goal. Having conversations with difficult people who use hardball tactics is not easy.

1. Evaluate the use of Ury's Breakthrough negotiation techniques in a difficult conversation and dealing with hardball negotiations?
2. Analyze this example in terms of how coalitions normally form and how they develop?