Negotiation jujitsu

When they attack your position, don’t push back — redirect the force toward the problem.

Why it works

Counterattacking entrenches both sides. Instead of meeting force with force, you sidestep: treat their position as one possible option, invite their reasoning, and recast attacks on you as attacks on the shared problem. The energy they bring gets redirected into examining interests and standards rather than escalating.

How to do it

1. Don’t defend your idea; ask them to critique it and explain the interests behind their own.
2. Recast a personal attack as a comment on the problem you’re both solving.
3. Use silence after a hard question — let them fill it rather than rushing to defend.

Evidence

A practitioner technique within the Harvard method for handling hardball tactics. Consistent with de-escalation and perspective-taking research; the named maneuver itself is framework guidance, not a tested protocol. (mechanistic)

This is explicitly practitioner technique; the supporting evidence is the general psychology of de-escalation, not a study of "jujitsu" as such.

Common mistake

Matching their aggression to "win," which locks both sides into positions and turns a negotiation into a standoff.