Practicality

Negotiation often starts with clashes between different positions. The opposing sides see a binary problem that permits only two options—right or wrong, yes or no, fair or unfair, black or white. Each party sees only two options—my position or yours. Binary problems are not negotiable. They leave no room for discussing a wide range of possibilities. Their structure initiates, fuels and inflames conflicts. Binary problems often lead to frustrated debates and block constructive negotiation. This chapter suggests methods to avoid the binary trap by converting a binary problem to a non-binary one.