ABSTRACT
The truth is that negotiations are a part of the routine job responsibilities of every engineer and supervisor. A fundamental objective of a good negotiator is for both participants to win. Confrontations or winner-take-all negotiations are seldom beneficial, especially when one will be dealing regularly with the person in the future. It is easy in lengthy negotiations to drift away from the original goals. A good negotiator always looks for the home court advantage. It is simply finding ways to increase the odds of accomplishing the objectives. One achieves the home court advantage by preparation and planning. Negotiations are a two-way communication. A good negotiator is committed to living up to the negotiated agreement, both the specific items and the spirit of the agreement. The best negotiations are ones where everyone feels good about the agreement, feels good about the way in which the negotiations were conducted, and feels the other party lived up to the intent of the agreement.
