Truth 28. Negotiate issues simultaneously, not sequentially

Many people negotiate in the same way that they would run a business meeting: by strict agenda. They just list all issues under negotiation and then attempt to reach an agreement on each one, in sequence.

Try to answer this before reading further: What disadvantages might this linear approach have?

If you hypothesized that negotiators following a strict agenda are more likely to take a completely positional (demanding) approach, you’re right. The key for negotiators is to handle several parts of a deal at the same time. This approach has several advantages. First, it prevents negotiators from being completely positional. Second, it forces them to prioritize their values and preferences ...

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