Bruce Patton

Getting to Yes

1. IDEA 1

   Negotiate on merits, not positions

   Fisher, Ury and Patton, from the Harvard Negotiation Project, argue that people often bargain over positions, each side insisting on a demand. They propose principled negotiation, which focuses on the merits of the issue to reach wise agreements.

2. IDEA 2

   Separate people from the problem

   The authors suggest treating relationships and substance separately. Be soft on people and hard on the problem. When people feel personally attacked, they defend themselves and stop thinking about solutions. Treating the person with respect while working hard on the problem keeps the talk useful.

3. IDEA 3

   Look behind positions to interests

   The authors argue that positions are what people say they want, while interests are why they want it. Focusing on interests reveals solutions. For example, two people fighting over one orange may want different parts of it.

All 8 ideas from Getting to Yes →