The Harvard Principles of Negotiation

Summary

This lesson covers the Harvard principles of negotiation, which emphasize separating the person from the issue, focusing on interests rather than positions, generating options for mutual gain, and using objective criteria. These principles, developed through the Harvard Negotiation Project and featured in the book 'Getting to Yes,' aim to improve negotiation outcomes and preserve relationships. Key strategies include understanding the other party's perspective, brainstorming alternative solutions, and handling difficult tactics like power imbalances or dirty tricks. By practicing these techniques, one can become a more effective negotiator.

Takeaways

• 🔑 Negotiation is a vital skill for daily life, whether dealing with work, relationships, or personal matters.
• 📖 The Harvard Principles of Negotiation were developed by the Harvard Negotiation Project and popularized in the book 'Getting to Yes' by Roger Fisher and William Ury.
• 🤝 Principle 1: Separate the person from the issue. Recognize that emotions can cloud the negotiation process, and it’s important to focus on the problem, not the individual.
• 🧠 Positional bargaining leads to poor outcomes, inefficiency, and can harm long-term relationships.
• 🍊 Use the orange analogy to understand interests: Splitting an orange doesn’t satisfy both parties if their underlying interests differ (e.g., one wants the peel, the other the seeds).
• 🎯 Principle 2: Focus on interests, not positions. Understand why the other party wants something, not just what they want, to create better outcomes.
• 💡 Principle 3: Generate options for mutual gain. Encourage idea generation, avoid narrowing choices too soon, and seek solutions that satisfy both sides’ interests.
• ⚖️ Principle 4: Insist on using objective criteria to avoid subjective disputes. Rely on facts and standards outside of personal interests to reach an agreement.
• 💪 Developing your BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) strengthens your position and provides more power in negotiations.
• 🛡️ Handle unfair tactics by recognizing them, calling them out, and negotiating about the negotiation process itself to establish fair rules.

Q & A

What is the main goal of the Harvard principles of negotiation?

The main goal of the Harvard principles of negotiation is to improve negotiation outcomes by focusing on understanding interests, generating options for mutual gain, and using objective criteria, rather than engaging in positional bargaining.

Why is positional bargaining considered a bad approach to negotiation?

Positional bargaining is considered bad because it often results in suboptimal outcomes, is inefficient, and can damage long-term relationships between negotiating parties.

What does it mean to 'separate the person from the issue' in a negotiation?

Separating the person from the issue means focusing on the problem at hand rather than viewing the other party as an adversary. It involves understanding their perspective and emotions, which can lead to more effective negotiations.

Why is it important to focus on interests rather than positions in a negotiation?

Focusing on interests rather than positions allows parties to address the underlying concerns and desires of both sides, leading to solutions that better satisfy the needs of each party, as opposed to rigidly defending positions.

How can negotiators generate options for mutual gain?

Negotiators can generate options for mutual gain by brainstorming ideas without immediate judgment, broadening their scope of options, and focusing on creating solutions that satisfy both sides' interests.

What is the role of objective criteria in negotiation?

Objective criteria are independent facts or standards used to resolve differences in negotiations, helping to shift the conversation away from subjective demands and towards solutions based on fairness or external benchmarks, such as market value or industry practices.

What is BATNA, and why is it important in negotiations?

BATNA stands for Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement. It is important because it provides negotiators with a fallback option if the current negotiation fails, increasing their leverage and confidence during the process.

How should negotiators handle situations where the other party uses win-lose tactics or personal attacks?

In such situations, negotiators should stay calm and continue using principled negotiation techniques, use 'negotiation Jiu-Jitsu' to deflect attacks by asking for reasoning, and, if necessary, involve a third party to mediate.

What are some common traps people fall into when generating options in negotiation?

Common traps include judging ideas too quickly, narrowing options too early, assuming that the negotiation is a win-lose scenario, and ignoring the interests of the other party.

How can negotiators address dirty tricks used by the other party?

To address dirty tricks, negotiators should first recognize the tactic, call it out, and then negotiate the rules for how the negotiation should proceed, ensuring both parties agree on fair processes.

Outlines

00:00

📘 Introduction to Harvard Principles of Negotiation

This paragraph introduces the concept of negotiation and its importance in various aspects of life, such as hiring, relationships, and business interactions. It highlights that most people lack formal negotiation skills, referencing the Harvard Negotiation Project and the book 'Getting to Yes' by Roger Fisher and William Urie. The principles outlined in the project aim to improve negotiation theory and practice.

05:02

🔍 Principle 1: Separate the Person from the Issue

This principle advises negotiators to focus on the issue rather than personal attacks. Positional bargaining, where each side tries to win by conceding the least, often leads to poor outcomes. Instead, understanding each party's interests can lead to mutually beneficial solutions. Emotions and egos must be controlled, and active listening should be used to ensure clear communication. The goal is to build a relationship while resolving the issue.

10:04

🎯 Principle 2: Focus on Interests, Not Positions

This principle emphasizes that negotiation should resolve the underlying interests of each party rather than focusing on their stated positions. By exploring the reasons behind a position, better outcomes can be achieved. Strategies include asking why a party holds a position, creating a list of interests for both sides, and showing that you understand the other side's interests. This approach fosters cooperation and better agreements.

🤝 Principle 3: Generate Options for Mutual Gain

To find solutions that benefit both parties, it's important to generate multiple options before narrowing them down. The text outlines common traps, such as judging ideas too quickly or assuming negotiations are a zero-sum game. Negotiators should create options without immediately criticizing them and look for mutual gains. The process should consider low-cost, high-benefit solutions for each party to reach a fair agreement.

⚖️ Principle 4: Insist on Using Objective Criteria

This principle advises that negotiations should be based on objective, impartial facts instead of power dynamics. Using examples like a used car negotiation, the paragraph explains how objective criteria, such as book value, can help avoid positional bargaining. Although objective criteria may not always be agreed upon, they serve as a helpful tool for focusing the discussion on fairness rather than subjective demands.

💪 What If the Other Party is More Powerful?

In cases where one party holds more power, developing a strong BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) is crucial. This paragraph explains how to brainstorm alternatives, improve the best one, and select the strongest option. A solid BATNA increases negotiating power and ensures you're prepared in case an agreement can't be reached.

🥋 What If the Other Party Won't Use Principled Negotiation?

When the other party refuses to engage in principled negotiation and instead aims for a win-lose outcome or attacks you personally, three strategies are suggested. First, maintain a calm, principled approach. Second, use 'negotiation jiu-jitsu' to deflect attacks by asking for the reasoning behind the other party's position. Third, involve a neutral third party to facilitate the negotiation using a process called the 'one-text' approach.

⚠️ What If the Other Party Uses Dirty Tricks?

This paragraph addresses how to handle dirty tactics, such as leaks or pressure, in a negotiation. The recommended three-step approach is to recognize the trick, call it out, and then negotiate the terms of the negotiation itself. By agreeing on fair rules for the negotiation, both parties can move forward with more transparency and cooperation.

🔑 Conclusion: Practice the Harvard Principles of Negotiation

The conclusion reinforces the idea that negotiation is a crucial skill in all aspects of life, yet most people are bad at it. By practicing the Harvard principles, one can gradually improve their negotiation skills. Though progress may be slow initially, consistent use of these techniques will make them second nature, leading to better outcomes in future negotiations.

Keywords

💡Negotiation

Negotiation is the process where two or more parties come together to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. In the video, it's described as essential for everyday interactions, such as hiring or dealing with personal relationships. The Harvard principles help improve negotiation outcomes by encouraging understanding and cooperation.

💡Positional Bargaining

Positional bargaining is a negotiation approach where each party sticks firmly to its stance, attempting to surrender as little as possible. The video criticizes this method, calling it inefficient and harmful to long-term relationships, and provides an example of splitting an orange without understanding the actual interests of the parties involved.

💡Separate the person from the issue

This principle suggests that negotiators should focus on the problem, not personal emotions or egos. It emphasizes understanding the other party's position by seeing things from their perspective and controlling emotions. In the video, examples include active listening and avoiding a win-lose mindset to maintain a productive relationship.

💡Focus on interests, not positions

Rather than focusing on fixed positions, negotiators should uncover the underlying interests and concerns driving each party. The video uses the orange example to show how understanding interests (peel vs. seeds) could lead to better outcomes. Asking 'why' or 'why not' is advised to clarify interests.

💡Mutual gain

Mutual gain refers to finding solutions that satisfy both parties' interests, leading to win-win outcomes. The video highlights that people often rush to judgment, narrowing options too quickly. It encourages broadening options, avoiding assumptions of fixed outcomes, and finding solutions that benefit everyone.

💡Objective criteria

Objective criteria are facts or standards that both parties agree on to guide the negotiation, independent of individual interests. The video explains using objective criteria, like a car's book value, to avoid positional bargaining and ensure decisions are based on facts rather than emotions or power dynamics.

💡BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement)

BATNA is the best alternative option if a negotiation fails. The video advises negotiators to develop a strong BATNA before entering negotiations, as it enhances power. For example, brainstorming alternatives ensures you're not pressured into a bad deal simply to avoid a breakdown in negotiations.

💡Principled negotiation

Principled negotiation focuses on finding a fair solution by separating emotions from issues, focusing on interests, and using objective criteria. The video presents it as an alternative to confrontational methods, aiming for collaboration rather than a winner-takes-all approach.

💡Negotiation Jiu Jitsu

Negotiation Jiu Jitsu is a technique used to deflect attacks during a negotiation. Instead of confronting the other party directly, you ask them for the reasoning behind their position or critique their attacks constructively. This approach is designed to steer the conversation away from confrontation and toward problem-solving.

💡One-text approach

The one-text approach involves bringing in a third party to help draft a proposal that addresses both sides’ interests. This method is used when direct negotiation stalls. The video mentions how a third party can facilitate agreement by fusing ideas and refining them based on feedback from both parties.

Highlights

The Harvard principles of negotiation originated from the Harvard Negotiation Project, aimed at improving negotiation theory and practice.

Positional bargaining, where both parties argue to surrender as little as possible, is inefficient and can harm long-term relationships.

Separate the person from the issue to avoid emotional and ego-driven conflicts that obscure the other party’s position.

Using active listening techniques helps you better understand the other party's interests, ensuring the negotiation is not a debate but a mutual discussion.

Focus on interests, not positions, to identify the underlying reasons behind each party's desires and concerns.

Generating options for mutual gain can prevent deadlocks. Broaden your options before judging or narrowing them down.

Consider solutions where high-cost interests to one party are low-cost to the other, enabling mutually beneficial outcomes.

Use objective criteria, such as independent facts or standards, to resolve disagreements and avoid power struggles.

Develop your BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) to increase your negotiating power by having viable alternatives.

If the other party uses a win-lose approach or personal attacks, deploy principled negotiation techniques like negotiation jiu-jitsu.

Negotiation jiu-jitsu involves deflecting personal attacks by redirecting them towards the problem or asking for the reasoning behind positions.

Involving a third party to mediate the negotiation can help diffuse tensions and move towards mutual agreement.

When facing dirty tricks, call out the tactics and negotiate about the rules of the negotiation itself.

Negotiation exists in every aspect of life, and practicing these principles regularly can improve your negotiation skills.

The Harvard principles provide flexible guidelines, not rigid rules, allowing you to adapt them based on the specific situation.

Transcripts

hello and welcome to today's lesson

where we're looking at the Harvard

principles of negotiation

now the need to negotiate is everywhere

whether you're hiring a new employee

requesting arrays or interacting with

your partner or friends good negotiation

skills are a must

unfortunately most people have never

learned the art of negotiation and are

thus terrible at negotiation

now before we jump in and look at the

principles let me quickly give you some

background for context the principles

came about through the Harvard

negotiation project which was

established to improve negotiation

theory and practice then later the book

getting to yes was written by the two

founders of the project Roger Fisher and

William Urie giving us the principles of

a negotiation that we're looking at

today so with that out of the way let's

jump straight in and look at the

principles

so principle one is separate the person

from the issue now if you're anything

like most people trying to picture a

negotiation you'll probably imagine two

people Head to Head arguing each

unwilling to give an inch each party has

its position and argues to try and

surrender as little as possible whoever

surrenders the least is seen to be the

winner this approach to negotiation is

called positional bargaining and the

Harvard principles of negotiation say

that positional bargaining is bad

because it produces terrible outcomes is

inefficient and jeopardizes your

long-term relationship

let's look at an example to see why

imagine there's one orange and each of

our negotiations wants it they argue

about who should own it for a while

eventually deciding to split it in two

so to have 50 each but what if one

person wanted the orange because they

wanted the peel to make a cake and the

other person wanted the orange because

they wanted the seeds out of it to grow

orange trees well in this case it's easy

to see that dividing the orange in two

was a sub-optimal outcome

so it's in your interest to understand

the interests of the other party because

if you don't you may not get what you

want that means the person you're

dealing with isn't just your enemy but

they're your partner

so to separate the person from the

problem you need to recognize the

emotions and ego can stop you from

seeing the other party's position

clearly so here are some actions you can

take to separate the person from the

issue

firstly try to understand the other

person's position by imagining yourself

in their shoes allow the other person to

let off steam when they need to try to

recognize the source of any strong

emotions

use active listening techniques to

ensure you understand what is being said

remember that a negotiation isn't a

debating competition so when you speak

your aim should be to be understood not

to win and build your relationship it

really does help if you can connect with

the other side on a personal level now

to separate the people from the problem

your mindset should not be to win but to

better understand the other person's

concerns now note that all of the

Harvard principles of negotiation are

principles not rules so that means

you're free to adjust them or use them

as much or as little as you'd like

principle 2 is to focus on interests not

positions negotiation is not about

positions it's about resolving the

conflict between each side's interests

and concerns

if each side knew what lay behind the

other side's desire for the orange in

the example we've just looked at they

could have reached a much more

successful outcome so here are some

actions you can take to identify the

other party's interests so when the

other side expresses a position ask them

why explain that you're doing so to

understand their interests and their

fears and their desires also ask why not

when the other side rejects one of your

proposals create a list of interests for

both sides rank them so you understand

what's most important to each side

finally acknowledge the other side's

interests

if you want them to consider your

interests seriously then an excellent

place to start is by showing them that

you understand their interests

principle 3 is generate options for

Mutual gain so the key to finding

options for Mutual gain is understanding

that shared interests lie at the heart

of negotiation when exploring options

for Mutual gain there are four types

that people commonly fall into firstly

judging ideas too quickly so nothing

hinders new idea generation more quickly

than someone immediately shooting those

ideas down

secondly trying to narrow your options

too quickly to find a solution thirdly

assuming that the only outcomes are win

lose or lose win so that means that

you're assuming the size of the pie is

fixed but you can't both win so finally

ignoring the interests of the other

party remember that to reach an

agreement you need to create an option

that satisfies the other party's

self-interest

so here are some actions you can take to

overcome these traps firstly separate

the creation of ideas from their

judgment Focus first on generating lots

of ideas and agree enough to criticize

any of them during this creation step

try to broaden your options rather than

honing in on a single promising option

third try to identify Mutual gains and

finally look for ways to make the other

side's decision easy there will be no

agreement without finding an option that

works for them now interests won't

always align nicely so the key to moving

forward when interests differ is to look

for interests that are high cost to you

but low cost to the other side and vice

versa now once you've found these

interests the party on the low-cost side

of the deal should suggest proposals

that are appealing to the other side

this process should work in both

directions until there are no more

interests to negotiate and the fourth

principle is insist on using objective

criteria now it's not unusual for two

parties to have completely opposed

interests So to avoid descending into a

positional tug of war the final

principle is to use objective criteria

to resolve your differences now

objective criteria are simply facts that

are independent of the people involved

in the negotiation but which can affect

what should be done in the negotiation

they try to take power out of the

equation so for example imagine you're a

negotiating the price of a used car

seller wants the highest price and you

want the lowest what objective criteria

might you use to avoid positional

bargaining well one Criterion you might

use is the car's Book value and maybe

you can both agree that it should be

taken into consideration what's another

criteria maybe you could use what's

common practice and use car deals for

example that could be adding servicing

or other extras into the deal if the

book price can't be agreed upon now

important to note that objective

criteria aren't as power full as you

might like in our car example you might

ask the seller to agree that book value

is an objective Criterion but they can

simply say no and that they want more

and that they actually think they can

get it

despite this objective criteria are

still useful for a very simple reason

very often there is a simple reason why

the other party won't give you what you

want and that's just because you've

demanded it of them so introducing these

objective criteria can be a way to turn

the conversation away from positional

arguing and towards looking at some

other objective measure

so so far you might think this all

sounds great but what if the other side

doesn't engage fairly well the Harvard

principles of negotiation give three

common ways this can happen and suggests

practical approaches to deal with each

so first what if the other party is more

powerful well in this case you should

spend time developing your partner

b-a-t-n-a which stands for best

alternative to a negotiated agreement

the better your batner the greater the

power you're going to have

so how do you develop about now well

it's pretty simple you should brainstorm

a list of alternative options to take if

you don't reach an agreement then work

on improving the best of those options

and finally select the one that is the

best now it's crucial to develop your

partner you shouldn't really enter a

negotiation if you're blind to what

you'll do should you not reach an

agreement at the end of that negotiation

so secondly what if the other party

won't use principled negotiation now

this can happen when the other party is

looking for a win-lose outcome or is

making personal attacks and in this case

you can deploy three approaches so

firstly don't allow yourself to be drawn

into a confrontation continue to use

principled negotiation secondly use an

approach called negotiation Jiu Jitsu

which aims to deflect and attackers

below rather than absorb it so what that

means is when the other party attacks

You by asserting their position you

reply by asking the reasons behind that

position

when the other party attacks your ideas

you ask them to explain in detail what's

wrong with your ideas and when they

attack you directly you listen to

everything they have to say and then you

recast the attack as an attack on the

problem

and the Final Approach is to involve a

third party to fuse both parties

underlying interests together and draw a

proposal allow comments and then redraft

the proposal and continue this process

until you finally reach an agreement

this is called the one text approach

and finally what if the other party uses

dirty tricks so suppose the other party

engages in dirty tricks such as leaking

information to the Press using pressure

tactics or even deploying a calculated

delay to the negotiations in that case

you can use a simple three-step approach

to handle this so firstly recognize that

a dirty tactic has been deployed and

choose not to engage with this secondly

call out that the dirty trick has been

played to the participants and thirdly

negotiate about the negotiation itself

so try to agree on the rules by which

the negotiation will be conducted going

forward

so in summary negotiation exists in all

aspects of our lives but most people are

terrible negotiators the Harvard

principles of negotiation can help you

achieve better negotiations in all

aspects of your life the best way to

improve your negotiation skills is to

practice using these techniques

regularly it'll be slow progress at

first but eventually the methods will

become more and more like second nature

so that's it for this lesson really hope

you enjoyed it and I look forward to

speaking to you again soon