Negotiation is a powerful tool for managing conflict and reaching agreement in both professional and personal relationships. But, you shouldn’t negotiate to merely reach agreement; you should negotiate to reach a good agreement.
Negotiate a Good Agreement.
A negotiation can be a contest to see which party can claim the most value, or a collaboration among both parties to create maximum value they will share. Sometimes, it can be a mixture of both. While many negotiation researchers stress the value of sound preparation and execution, knowing how to evaluate a proposed or finalized agreement is just as important.
For Further Reading:
Tomlinson, E. C., Dineen, B. R., & Lewicki, R. J. (2009). Trust congruence among integrative negotiators as a predictor of joint-behavioral outcomes. International Journal of Conflict Management, 20, 173-187. DOI: 10.1108/10444060910949621.
Lewicki, R. J., & Tomlinson, E. C. (2014). Negotiation. In M. Deutsch, P. Coleman, & E. Marcus (Eds.), The handbook of conflict resolution (3rd ed., 795-816). San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
Tomlinson, E. C., & Lewicki, R. J. (2015). The negotiation of contractual agreements. Journal of Strategic Contracting and Negotiation, 1, 85-98.