Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1636 in Books
• Published on: 1991-01-31
• Binding: Paperback

Customer Reviews

The Classic on Conflict Management
I love this little classic because it helped me deal with conflict management from the simplest to the largest sense of the term. Superbrief. With examples. It shows how to avoid getting unnecessarily angry, or taken. The four keys they recommend are:
1) Get beyond positions to interests or why others feel or think the way they do
2) Separate the people from the problem by using methods like active listening to establish understanding and trust
3) Invent options for mutual gain (create win/win possibilities)
4) Find objective criteria agreeable to all involved
I'm always amazed how many situations it applies to as well. Nearly every conversation where there's a difference involves its main ideas. I'd grade it an A.

Good guide to negotiations
This is a great beginner's guide to negotiations as it teaches the concepts one needs to internalize to succeed when negotiating.

My FAVORITE Non-Fiction Book
Out of all of the books I read, this is the one that I consider to be most influential in my business life. A classic that almost every MBA student must read, "Getting to Yes" has shown me a way between a "hard-nose" negotiation and a "soft-style" relationship sparing negotiation styles. The answer, the authors contend is to always engage in the Principle Based Negotiation. Key rules that I have gleened from the book are:
1. Separate the PEOPLE from the Problem
2. Focus on INTERESTS not Positions
3. Invest in OPTIONS for Optimum Gain
4. Insist on Using Objective CRITERIA

These four maxims have served me well every time I am mindful enough to use them.

The book also goes into the challenging situations when others try to manipulate you to get their ends. It is a key read for any executive or anyone who has argued about where to go out to dinner... This is a book that I always try to have 5 copies of, in case I want to give it to someone who can really use it ;-)