Harvard Business Review Guides Ultimate Boxed Set (16 Books)

Chapter 4

Prepare the Process

Plan how you will work and communicate with the other party.

Once you have a grasp of the substance of your negotiation, it’s time to think about the process. Imagine that the interests, alternatives, options, and standards you’ve just formulated are the “what” of your negotiation. Now, plan the “how.”

Commitments: Identify Milestones and Consider Who Has Authority

Think about the smaller commitments each side will make throughout the process and determine who has authority to make each of those commitments. You’ll have an agreement at the end that represents the total package you’ve shaped, but along the way you will also make more-discrete promises, and each of those need to be realistic. Take time now to prepare ...