Mastering the art of negotiation

PREFACE 7

1. INTRODUCTION 11
Negotiation matters now more than ever 11
Negotiation is a journey 14
Connecting the dots 16
Frequently Asked Questions and structure of the book 19

2. BEFORE WE START OUR JOURNEY 25
Dilemmas that always raise their head 25
Are you aware of the dynamic of the negotiation? 28
Everything is negotiation: my vision, a definition and a few concepts 30
Interests always play a central role 35
What’s your angle? 36
Negotiating and dealing with conflicts: what’s your preferred style? 39

3. THE JOURNEY: VALUES AND GUIDES FOR YOUR THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS 43
Openness, respect and fairness 43
Seven guides, that cover:
Relationship and content 46
Trust and verification 51
Interests and positions 56
My options and theirs 58
Sharing and fairness 61
My BATNA and theirs 65
Structure and process 68

4. EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE 73
Building the right atmosphere and relationship 75
Structured steps at the start 76
Extra attention to the relationship 78
Extra attention to the structure and process 80
The core of the negotiation 81
Multi-level and multi-party aspects 91
When are you satisfied? 98

NEXT LEVEL UP: MASTERING THE ART 101
5. EXPANDING YOUR CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE 103
Observing, interpreting and responding from the third position 103
Process interventions 106
Creativity in the process 110
Learning accelerators 113

6. IMPROVING AGILITY AND CLARITY 119
Getting better at reading yourself and others 120
Pacing and leading 146
How to deal with biases 150
Handling different cultures 159
What if they’re playing games? 163

7. THE JOURNEY’S OVER: TIME FOR THE NEXT ADVENTURE 181
Where have you got to and what do you want to develop further? 182
Your inner game 187
The road to mastery never ends 195

PREPARATION AND CHECKLIST 197
INSPIRATION AND LITERATURE 209