The book basically deals with the art of negotiation when dealing with employees by focusing on the method of principled negotiation which was developed during the Harvard Negotiation Project. This method of negotiation mostly focuses on the merits of negotiation rather than the process of haggling by looking at the mutual gains that will be derived by every member in the negotiation process. Principled negotiation is based on fairness and the practice of fair standards while performing negotiation exercises rather than employing falsehood and tricks to gain an advantage during the negotiation process (Fisher et al, 1991, p.10).
The first chapter of the book deals with the problems that usually arise when the standard strategies of positional bargaining are employed. Positional bargaining involves the parties of the negotiation process taking various positions during the bargaining process. According to the authors, positional bargaining impedes the negotiation process and often leads to the breakdown of talks especially when the other party to the negotiation makes it difficult to change the direction of the bargaining process. Positional bargaining creates situations that will make it difficult to reach agreement as every participant in the process strives to improve their chances of reaching a settlement (Fisher et al, 1991, p.6).
The main tactics and strategies that are used in positional bargaining include deception, trickery, stubbornness and making small concessions so that the negotiation can go on. Chapter one also highlights the fact that positional bargaining becomes a contest of will as each negotiator asserts their will on what they will do or what they will not do to complete the negotiations. According to the authors, positional bargaining often leads to feelings of anger and resentment as one side sees itself being forced to accept the will of the other side. This method of collective bargaining and negotiation causes a major strain on the relationships that exist between the various participants of the negotiation process. This method also presents a problem especially when there are many parties involved in the negotiation (Fisher et al, 1991, p.6).
The second chapter of this book deals with an analysis of the principled method of negotiation where the various people involved in the process are separated from the problem by focusing on their individual interests rather than on their positions. By separating the people from the problem, this method of negotiation stipulates that negotiators are human beings who are prone to various emotions and reactions depending on whether the negotiation is fruitful or disastrous. This means that the process of reaching an agreement might produce a psychological commitment from the individual given that there is a satisfactory outcome. The chapter also addresses the two kinds of interests that a negotiator has when approaching the principled negotiation process; substance and relationship (Fisher et al, 1991, p.19).
Substance are the interests that the negotiator wants satisfied once an agreement has been reached and relationship are the connections that the negotiator has with the other side of the negotiation process. The authors also discuss the aspect of separating the relationship the negotiator has from the substantive interests that they have vested in the negotiation and it also talks about the invention of options that can be used to achieve a mutual gain during the bargaining process (Fisher et al, 1991, p.20).
In chapter three of the book, the authors introduce the best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA) which is a method of negotiation used when the other side of the negotiation process is much more powerful. The BATNA according to the authors is the standard against which any proposed agreement should be measured against during a negotiation. The BATNA is the only standard which can be able to protect an individual from accepting terms of agreement that might prove to be too unfavorable or from rejecting agreements that might be in the best interests of the negotiator. BATNA allows a negotiator to have some flexibility which will enable them to explore imaginative solutions to the problem under consideration. It enables the negotiator to compare the different proposal agreements so as to determine which option best satisfies their interests and needs (Fisher et al, 1991, p.100).
Chapter three also offers the bargainer under the principled negotiation technique tactics that can be used to tame the hard bargainer such as calculated delays where the negotiator tries to postpone the decision to a time they think is favorable, explicit negotiating tactics where the negotiator considers other options apart from those being offered by the other side, the use of firm choices where the negotiator lets the other party know of what they have to loose in the event they do not reach an agreement. Firm choices are usually important tactics especially when it comes to salary or compensation negotiations as they enable the employee to negotiate for a higher salary and benefits (Fisher et al, 1991, p.108).
Chapter four is a conclusion of the whole book where three points are proposed by the authors to summarize the book. These three points include “You knew it all the time, learn from doing and winning.” (Fisher et al, 1991, p.147). The first point according to the authors’ deals with various negotiation facts which a person involved in the negotiation process might be aware of. The authors explain this point by basically organizing common sense and experience in a way that can be able to provide a useful framework for thinking and acting during the negotiation process.
The second point deals with learning from doing where the authors propose that people involved in the bargaining process are able to learn from their actions during the process. This will equip them with the necessary tactics that they can use if another collective bargaining exercise emerges. The third point which deals with winning involves determining how to achieve a better process of dealing with negotiating differences during the negotiation process. So as to bargain better, the process must produce substantive results and outcomes as long as the method of principled negotiation has been incorporated in the negotiations (Fisher et al, 1991, p.148).
Chapter five deals with the ten questions that can be used by negotiators so as to gain a positive response during negotiations where questions one to three deal with the fairness and principled negotiation where Fisher et al (1991, p.149) pose the question of whether positional bargaining makes sense in the bargaining process, whether the other side in the process believes in a different standard of fairness and whether the negotiator should be fair even when the situation does not call for any fairness. Questions four to six involve how to deal with people during the negotiation process by determining whether the people in the negotiation process are the problem and if they are is it worth it for the negotiator to bargain with them.
Question six involves the negotiator changing their negotiation approach so that they can be able to take into account the various personality differences and emotional complexities that exist in people. Questions seven to nine deal with the tactics that the negotiator can be able to incorporate so as to win the bargaining process. Such tactics according to question seven include where the negotiating meeting will take place, who will make the first offer during the meeting and what will be the starting negotiation price. Question eight provides the negotiator with vital steps or phases that they can use to move from creating options to making commitments while question nine involves using these ideas to achieve an advantage without invoking any risk.
Question ten of chapter five deals with aspects of power during the negotiation process where the techniques used by the negotiator determine whether they will be able to make a difference during the process. Question ten also deals with whether the negotiator can be able to increase their negotiating power to achieve a positive outcome (Fisher et al, 1991, p.150). The book in general provides negotiators with tools and techniques that can be used to gain the necessary skills and techniques to achieve a positive result during the negotiation process. Getting to Yes reminds the participants in the negotiation process to be mindful of the tactics that are basically used in achieving a positive result during the negotiation process.
References
Fisher, R., Ury, W., & Patton, B., (1991). Getting to yes: negotiating agreement without giving in. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.