Negotiate Like a CEO
Eric Partaker (compiling Lewicki, Fisher, Ury, Hiam) · 2026
"Effective negotiation combines four established frameworks — a four-phase structure, a clear BATNA (walk-away alternative), a relationship-versus-outcome matrix for choosing your approach, and the Harvard Principled Negotiation method of separating people from the problem — rather than relying on instinct or aggression alone."
The strongest position in any negotiation isn't a better argument — it's a better walk-away option. That's the entire logic of BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement).
The four phases (Roy Lewicki): preparation (research and define goals and BATNA), bargaining (propose and counter-propose), information exchange (share needs and understand the other side's), and commitment (finalize terms). BATNA (Fisher and Ury) sets your walk-away point and defines the ZOPA — the Zone of Possible Agreement — the overlapping range between both parties' acceptable terms where a deal can actually happen. The Negotiation Matrix (Lewicki and Hiam) maps five approaches — competing, collaborating, compromising, accommodating, avoiding — based on how much you value the outcome versus the relationship. And the Harvard Principled Negotiation Method (Fisher, Ury, Patton) insists on separating the person from the problem, focusing on underlying interests rather than rigid positions, generating multiple options for mutual gain, and grounding terms in objective criteria rather than raw leverage.
What does BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) determine in a negotiation?
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The explanation above is written with AI assistance. These are the originals — go to them to check it.
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Expected Value
"Choose the option whose average outcome, weighted by probability, is highest."