Negotiation Best Practices

Editor's Notes

• #3 Be prepared — Understand and articulate your goals and interests — Set high but achievable aspirations for negotiationDiagnose the fundamental structure of the negotiation — Make conscious decisions about the nature of the negotiation: is it a distributive or integrative negotiation or blend of the two — Choose strategies and tactics accordinglyIdentify and work the BATNA — Be vigilant about the BATNA — Be aware of the other negotiator’s BATNA4.Be willing to walk away — Strong negotiators are willing to walk away when no agreement is better than a poor agreement — Have a clear walkaway point in mind where you will halt the negotiation5.Master the key paradoxes of negotiation — Claiming value versus creating value — Sticking by your principles versus being resilient to the flow — Sticking with the strategy versus opportunistic pursuit of new options — Facing the dilemma of honesty: honest and open versus closed and opaque — Facing the dilemma of trust: trust versus distrust
• #4 6. Remember the intangibles — “See what is not there” — Ask questions — Take an observer or listener with you to the negotiation7. Actively manage coalitions — Coalitions against you — Coalitions that support you — Undefined coalitions that may materialize for or against youSavor and protect your reputation — Start negotiation with a positive reputation — Shape your reputation by acting in a consistent and fair manner9. Remember that rationality and fairness are relative — Question your perceptions of fairness and ground them in clear principles — Find external benchmarks of fair outcomes — Engage in dialogue to reach consensus on fairness10. Continue to learn from your experience — Practice the art and science of negotiation — Analyze each negotiationPlan a personal reflection time after each negotiationPeriodically take a lesson from a trainer or a coachKeep a personal diary on strengths and weaknesses and develop a plan to work on weaknesses