Getting to Yes

What it does:
"Getting to Yes" is a negotiating strategy that seeks to maximize both parties' value.

Its other names:
Harvard Negotiation Project Negotiating

Where it comes from:
The 1983 book Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement without Giving In by Roger Fisher and William L. Ury (now available in a new edition from Penguin Books) outlines this approach to successful negotiations.

In Getting to Yes, Fisher and Ury shared the insights they gained as negotiators of treaties, trade accords and other important agreements. They went on to teach their techniques at the Harvard Negotiation Project.

Summary:
Fisher and Ury's four strategies for principled negotiation can help resolve almost any type of dispute:

1. Separate the people from the problem -- People often become personally involved with issues and view opposition as a personal attack. If negotiators separate the people from the issues, they can address the issues without damaging their relationship. To do this, it is important not to blame the other side for the problem, but to focus on issues. Emotions are another roadblock. It is important to acknowledge emotions that come from the other side, but try to understand their source. Example: The person on the other side of the table is upset because you are trying to buy the company that his father founded. You understand and respect those feelings, but you don't let them color your position or approach.
2. Focus on interests rather than positions -- Defining a problem in terms of positions means that one side will "lose" the dispute. Instead define the problem in terms of both parties' underlying interests (i.e., what each side hopes to gain). If you can maintain this outlook, it becomes possible to find solutions that satisfy both parties.
3. Generate a variety of options before settling on an agreement -- Too often, both sides seize upon the first solution they can agree on. It is better to identify as many solutions as possible before agreeing.
4. Insist that the agreement be based on objective criteria -- "Objective criteria" can mean many things, including financial performance, adherence to laws, or statistical goals. Once the agreement is made, you need such criteria to be certain it is working.

What else you need to know:
A good agreement is not one you "win." According to Fisher and Ury, it is one that is wise and, efficient and one that improves the relationship of both parties.