by Mario Luis Tavares Ferreira

Created on: April 23, 2009   Last Updated: April 27, 2009

This article is focused on the Harvard Method, the MIT Negotiations Course, and the Harvard Negotiation Project.

The method is based on four basic points: people, interests, options and standards (objective criteria).

Negotiations should be based on principles and each negotiator should focus on objective criteria and legitimacy.

Before start a negotiation, some work must be done. Analyze yours and other parties' interests. Align both interests and develop options for mutual gains. Be prepared to avoid bargain positioning and to return to principles, and objective criteria.

Observe the quality of information when evaluating options, do not overestimate choices, have a broad knowledge of the context and market, and avoid emotional or subjective evaluations.

Now, returning to people, interests, options and standards (objective criteria).

People:

Separate people from problems. Be aware that the value of incentives may diverge from one party to another. What is fair allows different interpretations. Develop mutual understanding, trust and respect, and sustain the negotiation within the reason field. Avoid emotions.

Avoid fixed positioning. If some divergence comes up, try to revise opinions, share information, and clarify some points by understanding the other party, making questions or asking for help. Sustain the focus on objective criteria and principles.

Experienced negotiators are prepared for people conflicts, they analyze emotional traps, have strategies to deal with emotions, have active listening and empathic actions.

Interests:

Interests are what we want to achieve. Positioning is what we decided according to the interests. For each interest we have different positioning.

We negotiate to have our interests achieved, and negotiation is the use of power, time and information, though, all aspects must be optimized in the right and ethical manner.

To accomplish it, we need to be sensible to the negotiable issues, must recognize the interests of the other party and demonstrate it, maintain the process strictly on objective criteria, standards and principles. However, we should be affable, polite, with a constructive spirit and a facilitator.

In the case of impediments to develop the negotiation toward an agreement, try to identify the reasons, suggest alternatives by asking "why not", discuss other options with a "if we", and try to involve the other party with some question like: "why should we do that way?".

Options:

Some options (alternatives) should be already planned

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