The previous chapter suggested that negotiation is like DNA with some critical elements ‘hard wired’ into the process. This chapter examines the two strands of our negotiation DNA: the parties and the key elements that hold them together, namely reciprocity, trust, power, information exchange, ethics and outcome.

Parties to the negotiation

The two strands of our negotiation DNA represent the two parties, each with its objectives and priorities. Most business negotiations are conducted by individuals acting on behalf of organisations so even when these negotiations are one-on-one, the ‘shadow’ of the organisation is often in the background. When thinking about the ‘party’ to a negotiation, it is important to consider the interactions between the other party's negotiators and those who they represent. These ‘intra-party dynamics’ are explored in Chapter 9.

But what of the individual negotiator? One characteristic of negotiation is that it is ‘messy’, one reason being because people are different. We each try to do things in different ways and we react differently to what is happening around us or to us. Our personality impacts on how we negotiate, but how much?

Do I make a difference?

As we get older our personalities become more set, so it would be of little help to learn that a personality different from ours is necessary for effective negotiation. Fortunately, attempts to identify the impact of personality on negotiation effectiveness have not found any significant, practical effects (Bazerman et al., 2000).