0When it comes to Negotiation, always remember the term BATNA coined by Roger Fisher and William Ury in their 1981 bestseller, Getting to Yes: Negotiating Without Giving In.
BATNA stands for Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement. There are four possibilities when we negotiate with someone.
1. I Win - You Lose
2. I Lose - You Win
3. I Lose - You Lose
4. I Win - You Win
Obvoiusly the fourth alternative is the best, but when we do negotiation we tend to forget this fact. We focus our energies to get to the first alternative which may sometimes lead to second or third alternative which is neither good for us nor the other party.
One thing to be understood is that bargaining is not negotiation. Always negotiate to find a best alternative to the negotiated agreement through which both parties win and feel good about the deal. This will not only ensure short term satisfaction but also long term relationship and effectiveness.
