HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW

HOW TO MANAGE YOUR NEGOTIATING TEAM
Sep 9, 2009

Key ideas from the Harvard Business Review article by Jeanne M. Brett, RAY FRIEDMAN, and Kristin Behfar:

• Negotiating teams frequently sabotage their own efforts: Even though everyone is technically on the same side, each member has different priorities and imagines different ideal outcomes.

• To negotiate with another party successfully, a team must first negotiate internally to align its members’ interests and develop a disciplined bargaining strategy.

• By uncovering conflicting interests, the team can determine which trade-offs to make. Tactics like role playing instill discipline and reduce the risk of a serious gaffe at the table.