Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
One book, placed in its field — what Roger Fisher, William Ury, Bruce Patton's book gets right, where it goes further than the rest, and what the rest of the field adds.
Mike West, Editor · HR Leader Guide · bicycle.guide/guides/profile-getting_to_yes_negotiating_agreement_without
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Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
One book, placed in its field — what Roger Fisher, William Ury, Bruce Patton's book gets right, where it goes further than the rest, and what the rest of the field adds.
Mike West, Editor · HR Leader Guide · bicycle.guide/guides/profile-getting_to_yes_negotiating_agreement_without
The problem
Wise Agreement erodes when it is left to instinct instead of method.
You were taught the moves piecemeal, never the whole model.
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In · Mike West, Editor · HR Leader Guide
The model
- 01Separating People from the Problem
- 02Focusing on Interests, Not Positions
- 03Inventing Options for Mutual Gain
- 04Insisting on Objective Criteria
- 05BATNA Strength
- 06Working Relationship Quality
- 07Joint Problem-Solving Orientation
- 08Wise Agreement
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In · Mike West, Editor · HR Leader Guide
Step 1 of 5 · Separating People from the Problem
Perception, emotion, and communication are three distinct people-problems, each requiring its own remedy.
Misconception
Practitioners believe that being 'nice' or making a goodwill concession is how you keep a relationship intact during a tough negotiation.
Reality
Relationship damage comes from unaddressed perceptions and emotions, not from firmness on substance; you repair the relationship by talking about the relationship directly, not by giving ground on the deal.
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In · Mike West, Editor · HR Leader Guide
Step 2 of 5 · Focusing on Interests, Not Positions
A position is one way to satisfy an interest; there are almost always others.
Misconception
Practitioners assume that opposing positions mean opposing interests, so if the other side wants what you want less of, there's nothing to reconcile.
Reality
Behind opposed positions lie many interests, most of them shared or simply different rather than conflicting; two parties fighting over the same orange may want the peel and the fruit respectively.
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In · Mike West, Editor · HR Leader Guide
Step 3 of 5 · Inventing Options for Mutual Gain
Judgment hinders imagination; keep the two acts firmly separate.
Misconception
Negotiators believe the pie is a fixed size, so any gain for the other side is a loss for them and creative options are pointless.
Reality
Differences in interests, beliefs, risk tolerance, and time horizon are what make trades possible; expanding the pie is precisely the work that judging-too-early prevents.
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In · Mike West, Editor · HR Leader Guide
Step 4 of 5 · Insisting on Objective Criteria
Fair standards protect a relationship that a battle of wills would damage.
Misconception
Practitioners think objective criteria are just a polite cover for pushing their own preferred number.
Reality
Legitimate standards work only if you apply them even-handedly and remain genuinely open to which one governs; used as a mask for a position, they invite the other side to counter with their own biased standard.
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In · Mike West, Editor · HR Leader Guide
Step 5 of 5 · BATNA Strength
The better your BATNA, the greater your power to insist on favorable terms.
Misconception
Negotiators think power comes from resources, size, or a fixed bottom line they announce at the outset.
Reality
Relative power flows from how attractive each side's no-deal alternative is; the party who can more easily walk away sets the terms, regardless of who is bigger.
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In · Mike West, Editor · HR Leader Guide
A framework to use
The Method of Principled Negotiation
This framework is part of the full guide. See the guide →
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In · Mike West, Editor · HR Leader Guide
The cheat sheet
- Separating People from the ProblemPerception, emotion, and communication are three distinct people-problems, each requiring its own remedy.
- Focusing on Interests, Not PositionsA position is one way to satisfy an interest; there are almost always others.
- Inventing Options for Mutual GainJudgment hinders imagination; keep the two acts firmly separate.
- Insisting on Objective CriteriaFair standards protect a relationship that a battle of wills would damage.
- BATNA StrengthThe better your BATNA, the greater your power to insist on favorable terms.
- Working Relationship QualityA relationship that can absorb disagreement is more valuable than one that avoids it.
- Joint Problem-Solving OrientationFocusing on interests and inventing options together are what produce the problem-solving stance.
- Wise AgreementDurability is a test of wisdom: an agreement that won't hold wasn't wise.
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In · Mike West, Editor · HR Leader Guide
Sources
- Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In — Roger Fisher, William Ury, Bruce Patton
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In · Mike West, Editor · HR Leader Guide