Effective negotiating skills are essential to working on projects as partners.
People need to resolve differences at the lowest level possible in order to keep the
project on track. Veteran project managers realize that negotiating is not a competitive
game and work toward collaborative solutions to problems. They accomplish
this by separating people from the problem, focusing on interests and not positions,
inventing options for mutual gain, and relying on objective criteria whenever
possible to resolve disagreements. They also recognize the importance of
developing a strong BATNA, which provides them with the leverage necessary to
seek collaborative solutions