Getting to Yes - in riding

I was reading the famous Getting to Yes book today in preparation for a big negotiation. Towards the end of the book, interestingly, in the section about risk, there were some sentences that really seemed applicable to the current situation with Willig. I'm quoting them below.
"Make an investment. Some people play tennis all their lives but never get better. Those people are not willing to take a fresh look at what they do or to consider changing it. Good players recognize that getting better often means making an investment in new approaches. For a while they may get worse as they wrestle with new and unfamiliar techniques, but eventually they surpass their old plateau. The new techniques offer more long-term potential."
"Review your performance. Schedule time to think about how you did after each significant negotiation. What worked? What did not? What might you have done differently? Consider keeping a negotiation journal or diary, which you can reread periodically." (Or a blog!)
"Prepare! In many ways, negotiation is like athletics: Some people have more natural talent, and like the best athletes, they may gain the most from preparation, practice, and coaching. Yet those with less natural talent have more need for preparation, practice, and feedback, and much to gain by it. Whichever you are, there is much to learn, and hard work will pay off. It is up to you."