Negotiation is an integral part of our life. Consciously or unconsciously we are continuously negotiating with our own self or others all the time.

Unfortunately, many treat the word negotiation with a negative connotation. But in reality negotiation means a fair deal. To quote Karl Albrecht, Negotiation means “Start out with an ideal and end up with a deal.”.

My 2 cents with respect to negotiation:

# Negotiation always seeks to create a win-win situation for all concerned as opposed to a win-lose situation.

# Negotiation need not always involve money. It can be for power, position, ownership, etc.,

Negotiation is a balancing act that strives for mutual benefit and a wonderful technique to ensure that no party is adversely affected.

“Negotiation is an art; it’s also a science and more so it’s an attitude to create a fair deal” – Naveen Lakkur

Let me share an alleged radio conversation between two marine personnel. This is an example to understand the nuances of negotiation.

Person A: Please divert your course 20 degrees South to avoid a collision

Person B: Recommend you divert YOUR course 20 degrees North to avoid collision.

Person A: This is the captain of a navy ship; I say again divert your course 20 degrees South. THIS IS AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN OUR FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 20 DEGREES SOUTH, THAT’S TWO ZERO DEGREES SOUTH, OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP.

Person B: This is new recruit and we are the lighthouse. Recommend you divert course by 20 degrees North.