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Moviemoment

Positions & Interests

Jeroen BoonVera Heier

Joost Verbakel

Content

1. Exercise: Identifying / Communicating an interest

2. Basics about Interests

3. Exercise: Identifying the interest‘s purpose

4. Basics about Positions

5. Exercise: Announcing your position

6. Relationship between Interests and Positions

7. Problems with Positions and how to overcome them

8. Wrap Up

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Group Exercise

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Identifying / Communicating an interest

Exercise 1

• Write down the characteristics of your fruit

• Discuss your interests: - Without naming your fruit (Try naming characteristics)

You are 4 siblings! (every group is one member of the joly Dutch family)

Interests

• Interests are considered to be the motivating factor(s) and underlying

reasons behind the ‘position’ adopted by a negotiating party

• Interests often entail some combination of

– economic, security, recognition, control issues or

– desires, concerns, aims, goals

of a negotiating party in a negotiation process

What You Really Want

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Interests

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Substance Relationship

INTERESTS

Every negotiator has two interests

Substance & Relationship

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Group Exercise

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Identifying the interest‘s purpose

Excercise 2

• Decide on a position (in your group)– Keep your interest in mind!

• Try to reach your interest (discussion)

Rules:No Bargaining!

Don’t endangour your relationship with your joly Dutch family.No voting

Positions

• Positions are the official defined stance or standpoint which will be

strongly defended by a negotiator

• A position is usually determined by the interests of a negotiating party in

the negotiation process

• A position is often defined in the contract that a party puts forward or is

proposing to their counterpart

What You Say You Want

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MovieMoment

Positions

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Substance Relationship

Position 1 Position 2

Reasons Reasons

INTERESTS

Group Exercise

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Announcing your position

Excercise 3

• Decide on a new position

• Try to reach an agreement (discussion)

Rules:No Bargaining!

Don’t endangour your relationship with your joly Dutch family.No voting

Relationship between Interests and Positions

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Substance Relationship

Position 1 Position 2

Reasons Reasons

INTERESTS

Problems with Positions

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Substance Relationship

Position 1 Position 2

Reasons Reasons

INTERESTS

Result

Problems with Positions

Don’t Bargain Over Positions!

• Arguing over positions produces unwise agreements

• Arguing over positions is inefficient

• Arguing over positions endangers an ongoing relationship

• When there are many parties, positional bargaining is even worse

• Being nice is no answer

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How to overcome these problems

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1. Separate the people from the problem

2. For a wise solution reconcile interest, not positions

3. Identify the others party’s interests by talking about it

4. Find an alternative (BATNA)

5. Define and know all the characteristics of yours and others interests

Lessons Learned

• What is the difference between interest and positioning?

• What are possible problems with positions?

• How can you deal with the problems?

• What did you learn from the exercises?

Negotiation is often about positions,

yet managing interests can be more effective

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MovieMoment

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Thank you for listening & participating