Canonical · Negotiation & Persuasion · Book

3-D Negotiation

David A. Lax & James K. Sebenius · 2006

"Most negotiation training only covers tactics at the table (the first dimension) — the bigger wins come from designing the deal's structure (the second dimension) and shaping the setup before anyone sits down (the third dimension)."

The idea

Two Harvard negotiation scholars argued that most books teach only one-third of the skill — what to say across the table — while ignoring the two dimensions that determine whether the table even produces a good outcome.

Why it works

The takeaway — recall it first

Negotiating the Impossible

"Deadlocks that look unsolvable through direct bargaining usually get broken by changing the game itself — the frame, the players at the table, or the process — rather than by pushing harder within the existing structure."

Deepak Malhotra · BookContinue→