Focus on interests, not positions

Ask why a position is taken — the underlying interest is almost always more negotiable than the stated demand.

Why it works

Positions are specific demands ("I need $80,000"); interests are the underlying needs that motivate them ("I need to cover my rent and feel valued"). Two positions in direct conflict may serve compatible interests. Shifting the conversation from positions to interests creates the possibility of solutions that satisfy both parties’s real needs — often more creatively than either side’s original position would allow.

How to do it

1. Ask "why?" and "what for?" repeatedly — not as a challenge but as genuine inquiry into what is driving the position.
2. State your own interests explicitly rather than only your position: "What I really need here is..."
3. List the interests on both sides before generating any solutions — solutions come after interests are understood.

Evidence

Distinguishing positions from interests is the cornerstone of integrative bargaining research. Laboratory studies consistently show that information exchange about interests enables logrolling and higher joint outcomes. Pruitt & Lewis (1975) demonstrated experimentally that a problem-solving orientation toward underlying interests, rather than positional bargaining, produced more integrative (jointly beneficial) agreements. (rct)

Interest exploration requires trust and some disclosure. In low-trust or highly adversarial settings, revealing true interests can be exploited; the principle is sound but context-dependent in application.

Sources

• Thompson (1991), "Information exchange in negotiation", Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
• Thompson, L. L. (1991). Information exchange in negotiation. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 27(2), 161-179.
• Pruitt, D. G., & Lewis, S. A. (1975). Development of integrative solutions in bilateral negotiation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 31(4), 621-633.

Common mistake

Accepting the first stated position as the real constraint and generating solutions that all address that position — you may be trying to solve the wrong problem.