Coaching practices for Deal Structure Disagreement

Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For Deal Structure Disagreement, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.

Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?

• The deal is closed and fine, but I keep negotiating in the dark
• We’re deadlocked because they’re certain the numbers will land one way and I’m just as certain they won’t
• The deal is stuck because they swear the numbers will hit and I’m sure they won’t, and neither of us will budge on our forecast
• There are several things on the table here, and some matter way more to me than others
• We’ve just shaken hands on something we both accepted, but I have this nagging sense the deal isn’t as good as it could be for either of us

Practices that may help

1. Run a negotiation debrief to learn what value was left on the table
   After closing, compare priorities with the other side to see the trades you both missed.
   Expanding the Pie: Negotiation Beyond Splitting the Difference
2. Write contingent contracts when forecasts disagree
   If you and the other side have different predictions, let the outcome decide who was right.
   Expanding the Pie: Negotiation Beyond Splitting the Difference
3. Bridge disagreements with contingent terms
   When you disagree about the future, bet on it — tie terms to what actually happens.
   Win-Win Thinking: Expanding the Pie
4. Logroll by trading issues of unequal importance
   Concede on what matters less to you in exchange for gains on what matters more.
   Expanding the Pie: Negotiation Beyond Splitting the Difference
5. Propose a post-settlement settlement to optimize an agreed deal
   After reaching a deal, offer to see if you can both do better — many agreements leave joint value on the table.
   ZOPA: The Zone of Possible Agreement
6. Add issues to expand the pie
   Bring more variables in — timing, scope, future work — so there’s more to trade.
   Win-Win Thinking: Expanding the Pie
7. Trade across issues where each side has different priorities
   Give the counterpart what they care most about; get what you care most about — logrolling is only possible when interests differ.
   Interests vs. Positions: The Core of Integrative Negotiation
8. Expand the ZOPA by adding issues to the negotiation
   When you’re stuck on a single issue, adding more issues often creates room for trades that satisfy both sides.
   ZOPA: The Zone of Possible Agreement
9. Map what you actually agree on before diving into the disagreement
   Start by explicitly building the shared map before marking where it diverges.
   Productive Disagreement, Made Practical
10. Probe for interests, not positions
    Ask why the other side wants what they say they want before responding to what they say.
    Expanding the Pie: Negotiation Beyond Splitting the Difference

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