Coaching practices for Multi Issue Negotiation

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

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

  • We’re completely deadlocked on the one number
  • There are several things on the table here, and some matter way more to me than others
  • I can’t get a read on what the other side actually cares about most
  • We’ve got several things on the table and we keep splitting each one right down the middle, leaving us both half-satisfied on everything
  • 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

Practices that may help

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. Trade across differing priorities
    Give on what you value less to get what you value more — and have them do the same.
    Win-Win Thinking: Expanding the Pie
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. Separate the people from the problem
    Address relationship concerns and substantive issues in different registers — treating people well and the problem hard.
    Principled Negotiation, Made Practical
  8. Invent options for mutual gain
    Brainstorm multiple possible deals before deciding, expanding the pie before splitting it.
    Getting to Yes: Principled Negotiation
  9. Identify compatible interests for joint gain
    When both sides care about the same thing — quality, reputation, timing — agreements that serve that shared interest outperform splits.
    Interests vs. Positions: The Core of Integrative Negotiation
  10. Focus on interests, not positions
    Ask why a position is taken — the underlying interest is almost always more negotiable than the stated demand.
    Principled Negotiation, Made Practical

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