W2 Podcast: Getting to Yes

Question 1

Why is it difficult to reach an agreement?

Answer 1

People often have different interests and intentions which makes it difficult to collaborate and get good results

Question 2

Knowledge/information revolution

Answer 2

Revolution on how we make decisions
Used to work in a more hierarchical system where people on top decide and others follow
Now, after information revolution, this collapsed and there are ‘networks of association’
We always negotiation now (also negotiation revolution)

Question 3

Negotiation framework

Answer 3

2 axes: concern for others interests and concern for own interests
Boxes: soft accommodating, mutual gains, avoidance, hard adversarial

Question 4

Negotiation framework: Soft Accommodating

Answer 4

Low concern for our interest, high concern for others interest
You pay attention to the customer and not yourself (puppy)

Question 5

Negotiation framework: Mutual gains

Answer 5

High concern for our interest, high concern for others interest
Ideal scenario, but most difficult and requires a lot of creative thinking (owl)

Question 6

Negotiation framework: Avoidance

Answer 6

Low concern for our interest, low concern for others interest
You avoid the situation, do not get much done (rooster)

Question 7

Negotiation framework: Hard Adversarial

Answer 7

High concern for our interest, low concern for others interest
No regard for the other (bull)

Question 8

How do we get mutual gains (owl)?

Answer 8

1. Focus on interests
2. Develop your BATNA
3. Listen and put yourself in their shoes
4. Go from position to options

Question 9

1.How to focus on interests?

Answer 9

Key in negotiation is the “why”, find underlying motivations, needs, desires, fear, and concerns
Human tendency is to react without thinking, biggest obstacle is to get what we want, we cannot influence others without being able to influence ourselves
“Go to the balcony”: get some perspective, calmness and self-control, do not instantly react

Question 10

2. Develop your BATNA

Answer 10

If you have an alternative you will negotiate with more confidence, care about the negotiation but don’t fall in love with one option, be more relaxed and less emotional, enable positive thinking and reach better agreements

Question 11

3. Listen and put yourself in their shoes

Answer 11

Separate the problem and the person, makes you soft in dealing with the people and hard with the problem
The harder the problem the softer and more respectful you need to be

Question 12

4.Go from position to options

Answer 12

Invent before you evaluate, brainstorm a wide range of options, leverage differences, brainstorm jointly