Discover the Interests behind Positions

Here’s one of my favorite negotiation stories:

Two sisters were in the kitchen fighting over the last orange in the refrigerator. The battle became so intense that their father finally had to intervene. He offered to cut the orange in half as a compromise, but this just provoked more fighting.

Finally, he asked the girls why they each wanted the orange so badly. “I’m hungry,” said the first, “and I want a snack.”

“I’m baking a cake,” said the second, “and I need to grate the orange peel into the batter.”

When the father understood the interests underlying his daughters’ positions, the solution became obvious.

Similarly, knowing your counterpart’s interests in your negotiations are what you need to get past what seem to be immovable positions. And that’s why, in addition to finding precedents and alternatives, finding interests needs to be an important part of your pre-negotiation preparation.

Negotiation has been defined as taking and giving up a series of positions. Positions, however, are often defined by dollars. Interests give you insight into the real reasons behind your counterpart’s positions. Understanding their interests in advance, therefore, can make you more successful in moving them from one position to the next.

Here’s an example. Suppose you’re negotiating with your landlord over a substantial unexpected increase in your office rent. The extra money defines her position and may be difficult for you to accept until you learn that her interests lie in paying for renovations in order to attract prestigious tenants to her building. Knowing this gives you leverage. In lieu of paying the extra rent, perhaps you could call in some of your own contractors to help do the renovations more cheaply for her.

Sometimes you may discover that your counterpart’s interests are the same as your own. Maybe you’re both looking for ways to cut costs or increase efficiency. Maybe you’re both interested in expansion. Maybe you’re both just in need of a successful deal to help your careers. In any case, it’s good to know your common interests in advance. Beginning with what you have in common is a great way to start negotiating.

During your preparations, make sure you discover the interests behind your counterpart’s negotiating positions. In addition to giving you more leverage, you’ll ensure that both you and your counterpart get the deal that you both want.