Coaching practices for Generating Options Negotiation

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

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

  • It feels like there are only two outcomes here
  • I can’t get a read on what the other side actually cares about most
  • We’re treating this like there’s one pie to fight over and someone has to lose
  • The whole thing has collapsed down to one number and we’re just staring each other down over price, so whatever I gain they lose
  • The second they push back I either cave completely or harden into all-or-nothing, because I walked in without ever deciding what I could actually live with

Practices that may help

  1. Invent options for mutual gain before selecting
    Generate multiple creative options without commitment before evaluating any — the solution space is usually larger than the initial positions suggest.
    Principled Negotiation, Made Practical
  2. Make multiple equivalent simultaneous offers (MESOs)
    Propose several package deals of equal value to you — see which the other side prefers.
    Expanding the Pie: Negotiation Beyond Splitting the Difference
  3. Invent options for mutual gain
    Brainstorm multiple possible deals before deciding, expanding the pie before splitting it.
    Getting to Yes: Principled Negotiation
  4. 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
  5. Negotiate: know your minimum and be willing to give and take
    Decide in advance what you are willing to accept short of your full ask, and be ready to offer something in exchange.
    DEAR MAN: DBT’s Skill for Asking for What You Want Effectively
  6. Generate Options — explore the full range of possibilities before committing
    Invite the person to generate as many options as possible before evaluating any of them.
    The GROW Model: Coaching Conversations That Actually Move People
  7. Improve your BATNA before you negotiate
    The best time to strengthen your walk-away position is before the negotiation starts, not during it.
    BATNA: Your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement
  8. Expanding the Pie: Negotiation Beyond Splitting the Difference
    Expanding the pie means trading across issues that the two parties value differently, so both sides gain more than any fixed compromise would allow. Malhotra and Bazerman’s research shows that most negotiators leave joint gains on the table because they treat every issue as a zero-sum battle.
  9. 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
  10. Expand the pie before you divide it
    In negotiations, surface what the other side actually values most before claiming your share.
    Give and Take: The Giver Advantage

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