Negotiating at Work

3Anchoring, Mindfulness, and Preparing for Problem Solving

Mutual-gains problem solving, a topic that's been the subject of many important and practical books, goes by various descriptions: interest-based as opposed to positional bargaining; the creation of value as opposed to the claiming of it; integrative as opposed to distributive negotiation; win-win as opposed to win-lose.¹ When the idea of mutual gains is introduced, it is typically in contrast to its opposite. And that certainly makes sense in many discussions of negotiations where parties are negotiating a deal over prices of real estate, business deals, and contracts²—the capital N-negotiations we've referenced in previous chapters.³ This distinction may also make sense when discussing ...