Question
Ask what the position is trying to protect
'We need Friday' is a position. The useful question is what Friday makes possible.
When it fits
- The conversation is stuck on a stated demand and repeating arguments is not changing it.
When to avoid it
- Do not pressure someone to reveal confidential information or assume their stated interest is the whole story.
A question to ask
What does this term make possible for you? · What problem would appear if this condition changed? · Which part is a hard constraint and which part is a preference?
Why it matters
Ask a neutral question about the need, risk, dependency or objective behind the stated position. Listen for interests that can be satisfied in more than one way. Share your own relevant interests selectively so the discussion can search for different packages instead of defending one sentence each.
An example
A client asking for an earlier go-live may actually need a board demonstration date rather than full production readiness.
Check your result
You can name an underlying interest that creates at least one new option or clarifies that the constraint really is hard.
Keep this limit in mind
- Do not pressure someone to reveal confidential information or assume their stated interest is the whole story.
Connected ideas
Useful withTrade on differences instead of splitting every issue
Evidence and sources
Program on Negotiation guidance recommends asking questions that uncover underlying interests rather than focusing only on stated positions.
Interest discovery does not require disclosing confidential information or accepting the counterpart's framing.
Value Creation in Negotiation · Ask questions and share information