Creative Conflict

<p><b>Negotiation is stuck. It's time for something new.</b></p><p>Almost everything is negotiable. Almost every interaction is a negotiation. And in no field is this clearer than in business where every day we work with others to get things done. But when we have real differences is win-win always possible? Or must every negotiation be a zero-sum battle with a winner and a loser?</p><p>Over the last half century two opposing philosophies have ruled the field of negotiation: the win-lose tooth-and-nail approach of training guru Chester Karrass; and the win-win principled creed of <i>Getting to Yes</i> developed by Roger Fisher and William Ury. But neither approach fully meets the challenge of today's volatile disruptive ultracompetitive business environment where strategic problem-solving is of critical importance.</p><p>In <i>Creative Conflict</i> negotiation experts Bill Sanders and Frank Mobus provide something new. They use a dynamic dialectical approach to show how negotiations are driven by competition and cooperation at the same time. Counterintuitively they reveal that conflict lies at the heart of more profitable agreements. They believe that when we tiptoe around conflict we negotiate in a half-hearted way that limits our results. By contrast creative negotiators probe and push until they hit a wall of disagreement and then they figure out how to get past it. The authors construct a clear and useful framework based on three distinct negotiating contexts: Bargaining Creative Dealmaking and Relationship Building. They instruct readers on how to skillfully pursue their fair share while simultaneously seeking ways to expand a deal's scope and value for both sides.</p>