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SKILL SK-20 | Negotiation & Mediation
Interest-Based Negotiation
The ability to engage in negotiation by focusing on the underlying interests of all parties - what they actually need - rather than their stated positions - what they say they want. Interest-based negotiation produces more durable agreements because it addresses real drivers, not surface expressions.
How to Develop It
1. Interest mapping
Before a negotiation, map the interests of all parties - your own and the other side. For each stated position, ask why three times to uncover the underlying interest. Use this map to design opening questions for the negotiation.
2. Option generation exercise
Given a real or simulated scenario, generate at least ten possible options before evaluating any. Practice deferring judgment during generation - no option is rejected until the full set is visible. Evaluate against interests, not positions.
3. BATNA analysis
Identify your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement before any significant negotiation. Know the point below which agreement is worse than no agreement. Practice stating your BATNA clearly and calmly - it is your protection against bad deals.
Why This Skill Matters
Positional negotiation, where parties argue for what they want and compromise toward the middle, produces agreements that often do not hold because neither party underlying needs are met. In SE-GRM contexts, compensation and livelihood arrangements reached without interest analysis frequently unravel.
Observable Behaviors
+ Identifies and articulates the interests behind all parties stated positions before negotiating
+ Focuses negotiation conversations on interests, not positions: what do you need this to achieve
+ Generates multiple options before evaluating any - avoids premature commitment
+ Uses objective criteria to evaluate options rather than positional pressure
+ Separates the people from the problem - maintains respectful relationships while engaging hard on interests
Self-Assessment
Read each Reflective Question below and honestly consider how consistently you demonstrate this in your actual fieldwork, not how you think you should behave, but how you do behave. Then assign a score from 1 (lowest) to 4 (highest):
(1) Not yet developed: Rarely demonstrated in practice
(2) Emerging: Demonstrated sometimes, but inconsistently or only under favorable conditions
(3) Established: Demonstrated reliably in most situations, including moderately challenging ones
(4) Adaptive: Demonstrated reliably even in high-pressure situations, and practitioner actively helps
Common Gaps & Pitfalls
! Preparing for negotiation by rehearsing arguments for your position rather than mapping interests
! Moving to positions before interests are established
! Treating the first agreement reached as the best available rather than testing it against interests
Reflective Questions Score from 1 (lowest) to 4 (highest):
I can identify the underlying interests behind all parties stated positions before negotiating
I focus negotiation conversations on interests rather than positions
I generate multiple options before committing to any single solution
I know my BATNA for any significant negotiation and use it to set my walk-away point
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