Take the Time

In the May issue of the Negotiating newsletter published by Harvard, there is an interesting study about how the starting time of a negotiation affects the outcome.

I have always believed that Americans get involved in negotiations too late. Usually it is the deadline that drives us into a negotiation. Then, our focus is getting it done on time as opposed to trying to find the best agreement for both parties.

The summary of the study, done by professors Henderson, Trope and Carnevale of NYU states: ".....student subjects in a negotiation simulation made more multi-issue offers and counteroffers and created more value overall when the project at stake was five months away rather than the next day. The students were more capable of abstract, creative reasoning when contemplating distant simulations than they were when considering immediate ones."

So, aim higher to do better, and give yourself more time to negotiate, at least on those issues that will make the greatest impact.

Jim Sauerwein