Workbook Samples

Collaborative or Principled Negotiating

In collaborative negotiations there is a high concern for both the relationship and the outcome. In order to achieve both these aims, we need to focus on the following four principles:

• People: Separate the people from the problem.
• Interests: Focus on interests, not positions.
• Options: Generate a variety of possibilities before deciding what to do.
• Criteria: Insist that the result be based on an objective standard.

This method suggests that you look for mutual gains whenever possible, and that where your interests conflict, you should insist that the result be based on some fair standards independent of the will of the other side. This is the method that we will focus on during the rest of this class.