HBR: Principles of Investigative Negotiation

An article in the Harvard Business Review recommends "investigative negotiation," as a method of expanding agreement options and forging more successful resolutions. Authors Deepak Malhotra and Max H. Bazerman delineate five principles of investigative negotiation:

1. Ask why the other side wants what it wants;
2. Mitigate the other party’s constraints;
3. Interpret demands as opportunities;
4. Create common ground with adversaries; and
5. Investigate even if the deal seems lost.

Solid advice for ombuds coaching visitors. (HBR in Brief.)