An ancient book in the CERN library captivated two scientists. It told of a place at the end of the world, where the sky touched the earth and they would find the answer to all their questions.

This stereotype is often trotted out to explain the lack of equality between men and women in the world of business, but recent research completely disproves it.

Martina¹ comes to see me, rather put out: “My boss has landed me with a “fair²”. I’ve had it now!”

“My supervisor is getting angry more and more often: he loses his temper with us, shouts at us and throws things across the room,” Dimitri*, a CERN fellow, tells me.

Vanja and Marek are no longer on speaking terms. Vanja took over the group six months ago and has been working to make the service more customer-oriented. But Marek thinks the most important thing is technical excellence

Frans started his career at CERN as an engineer in 1992, after having worked for about 10 years in industry in his home country. He’s an ordinary chap who has progressed regularly in his career and has survived several reorganisations.

Tom’s farewell drink had got off to a good start and, after a few glasses, everyone was in high spirits.

It’s not uncommon in communication for a hidden message to take on more importance than what’s actually said.

People often ask me: “But what can you do for us in practical terms? What actions can you take?”

In prehistoric times, there were only two ways to resolve a conflict: fight or flight. And there was always a winner and a loser. Then, one day, someone discovered a revolutionary new approach: negotiation, or aiming to find a solution that satisfies the interests of both parties.