Mr Fisher had a system.
He outlined it with William Ury in his book “Getting to Yes” (1981), which sold 3m copies; he also taught it to students, especially, from 1979, through his Harvard Negotiation Project. Like all good tools, it got better with use. In any negotiation, he wrote—even with terrorists—it was vital
to separate the people from the problem;
to focus on the underlying interests of both sides, rather than stake out unwavering positions; and
to explore all possible options before making a decision.
The parties should try to build a rapport,
check each other out, even just by shaking hands or eating together.
Each should “listen actively”, as he always did, to what the other was saying.
They should recognise the emotions on either side, from a longing for security to a craving for status.
And they should try to get inside each other’s heads.
For those who found his principles too idealistic, he could point to age-old haggling tricks he also recommended:
pretending not to be interested,
refusing to react to pressure,
being prepared to walk away.
(Roger Fisher
Roger Fisher, lawyer, teacher and peacemaker, died on August 25th, aged 90
Sep 15th 2012 | from the print edition of The Economist)
