For those of us who have done large outsourcing deals, we can see in Washington and New York a replay of things that have gone bad in our deals, from "take-it-or-leave-it" threats, to misuse of the "man out of the room," to ill-timed public statements about resolution or impasse.

There are also important lessons to learn from this ongoing crisis. First, the most important thing to do is have a good core team working on the real problem. Second, it is clearly important to let them get their work done before interjecting Presidential (or CEO/CIO) politics into the process. Third, one cannot turn over every stone in solving problems, but one can focus on a management team to develop processes to address issues.

As the U.S. (and the world) teeters on the edge of The Unknown, we should all take a moment and remind ourselves of the tactics that pushes deals to the brink - and the tactics that get things done. Either are available, but it is always important to remember the consequences of each approach - and to manage the people (upwards and downwards) properly to avoid chaotic disruption.