2 great questions to break deadlock

If you can get a YES to at least one of these two questions you will have opened up a space for collaboration in a situation where all sides are entrenched and no longer interested in the other parties point of view. If you get two NO's pack up your bags and don't waste your time and energy!

Q1: Would you be prepared to search for a solution which is better than the one you have brought with you?

Q2: Are you prepared to articulate the other person's concern to their satisfaction before starting negotiation?

Thanks to Stephen Covey for these two.

Ken Thompson (aka The BumbleBee) blogs about bioteams, virtual collaboration and business simulation at www.bioteams.com.

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