1 Fisher and Ury's Harvard Negotiation Project
Developed by Roger Fisher and William Ury at Harvard Law School in the late 1970s, principled negotiation, known through Getting to Yes, is the world's reference theoretical and practical framework for defusing complex family, social and diplomatic conflicts. It breaks with positional bargaining, in which each party entrenches itself in rigid demands at the expense of the relationship.
2 The four cardinal principles of Harvard negotiation
1. Separate the people from the problem: treat interlocutors with absolute human respect while addressing disagreements with uncompromising analytical rigour. 2. Focus on real underlying interests rather than stated positions: understand what each person fundamentally needs, such as security, recognition or fairness, behind their demands. 3. Invent a range of mutually beneficial agreement options before making any decision. 4. Base the final choice on indisputable, legitimate objective criteria.
3 BATNA: securing the best alternative to a negotiated agreement
The method teaches people to identify their Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA). Knowing what one will do if negotiations fail makes it possible to enter discussions calmly and firmly, without submitting to unfair agreements simply out of fear of conflict.
4 The place of this approach within support
This approach brings immediate calm to divorce or inheritance disputes: it transforms adversaries into cooperative partners jointly seeking a fair outcome for everyone.
5 Lasting negotiated agreements and preserving mutual respect
Solutions arising from principled negotiation withstand the test of time remarkably well because they produce neither a humiliated winner nor a bitter loser. By preserving everyone's dignity, the Harvard method maintains a constructive relationship for the future.