ABSTRACT
This chapter explains how negotiators can distill others’ words and actions to decipher their counterparts’ core interests and priorities. It discusses the difference between talking to each other and talking at each other, as the latter does little to persuade. Negotiators defending conflicting positions but who collaborate well will likely reach a better negotiated outcome than negotiators who do not work well together. Negotiators defending conflicting positions but who collaborate well will likely reach a better negotiated outcome than negotiators who do not work well together. In the course of UN negotiations, negotiators must sometimes debate issues about which they have strong personal views, which may or may not coincide with their country positions. The individual negotiator matters as much – or sometimes more than – the flag in a negotiation.
