The Expert Negotiator by Raymond Saner
The Expert Negotiator by Raymond Saner
Saner works as a negotiator, and writes largely from his experience. As such, he takes his knowledge and tries to break it down in to a coherent understanding. This seems similar to Linnaeus' initial survey of species ( categorizing on appearances ), while hints of underlying superstructures ( cladistics ) point towards analyses that fit better into how-things-work models.
Caveat Lector. Saner uses a direct advisory style to bridge together the observations (e.g. "Separating problem-solving and decision-making... The objectives of these two stages of the process are too different to be dealt with in a single phase", page 99), following in the shallowed footsteps of ElementsOfStyle.
Classics of negotiation literature:
The Prince by Macchiavelli
On War by Clausewitz
The Art of Diplomacy by Francois de Callieres
The Art of Worldly Wisdom by Baltasar Gracian
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
Book of Five Rings by Musashi Miyamoto
negotiation life cycle:
planning: conflict awareness, needs analysis, selection of objectives, selection of strategies, anticipation of other party's actions, selection of tactics
action: negotiation, evaluation
assessment: conclusion or back to planning
Some of these findings have been conirmed by a French study (Dupont, 1982), according to which experience negotiators compare as follows with novices:
Half as much more time to examine the conflict
Three times as many options
Less attached to their own objectives
Use of more strategies
Third less attention to tactics
skilled negotiators ask questions, test for understanding, and summarize all twice as much as average negotiators
Negotiation Delegation roles: Leader, Evaluator, Gatekeeper (fend off craziness from the other side), Idea Generator, Facilitator
Common Mistakes Under Stress:
Disclosing too much
Accepting unnecessary compromises
Not creating a good agenda and list of issues
Wanting to be liked
Threatening to withdraw too early
Not anticipating opponent's tactics
Avoiding conflict and confrontation when they are appropriate
Getting stuck in deadlock Not listing negotiable and non-negotiable items Not looking for additional common interests and new solutions