Getting to Yes! Book Report

Getting to YES, Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In is an excellent book that discusses the best methods of negotiation. The book is divided into three sections that include defining the problem, the method to solve it, and possible scenarios that may arise when using these methods. Each section is broken down into a series of chapters that is simple to navigate and outlines each of the ideas in a way that is easy for any reader to comprehend. There are also several real life explanations for each issue that make the concepts easier to apply and understand. These ideas are reflective of a method developed by the Harvard Negotiation Project called “principled negotiation”. This method combines the two ideas of soft and hard negotiation in a way that looks at the negotiation objectively and separates the negotiator from the issue. By looking at the negotiation and separating personally from it, the best outcomes for both parties are likely to occur. To further explain, below is an outline of the principled negotiation method divided in the same manner as the text with real life applications of these methods and how they can benefit my professional life personally.

1: THE PROBLEM – Don’t Bargain Over Positions

Chapter one explains that when negotiating, it is important to maintain positions at all times. A position is where you stand in an argument and defines what you are negotiating for. As you argue your posistion, you are less likely to bend on that position because you continue to defend it, the stronger bond you form with it. The chapter also discusses the two types of negotiation that are usually seen which include either soft or hard negotiation. In hard negotiation, both parties are considered adversaries and holds the negotiation as a competition in which only one party can win. Soft negotiation focuses on maintaining a friendly relationship between the two parties involved and is more likely to promote a loss in order to make a deal. In both