Harvard Negotiation Model

I’ve been performing a short presentation about Harvard Negotiation Model after reading a few books on the negotiation topic. “Harvard Negotiation Model” sounds pompously, but it’s core principles are really simple, and surprisingly to me - I already used some of them intuitively.

I collected my drafts if I ever wanted to remind myself the framework. My knowledge on the methodology came from “Getting to YES” book, but I found references to the methodology in many other books, like:

• “Psychologia szefa” (available only in Polish)
• “Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?”
• “Collaborating with the Enemy”
• “Start with Why”

This is not a thorough introduction to this methodology, more a raw memory dump, plus some notes.

Introduction

“We all negotiate — in business, in families, in teams. But most people see negotiation as a battle of wills. The Harvard Negotiation Model offers a better way.”

Have you ever “won” a negotiation but damaged the relationship?

The Harvard Model is about principled negotiation — reaching agreements without giving in and without creating enemies.

Core Assumptions of the Harvard Model

“The Harvard approach assumes negotiation is not a zero-sum game. It’s a process of joint problem-solving.”

Key assumptions:

• Negotiation isn’t a battle — it’s a shared problem-solving process.
• Most conflicts come from hidden interests, not positions.
• You can be assertive without being adversarial.

The 4 Principles of Principled Negotiation

flowchart TD
    P1["Separate People from the Problem"]
    P2["Focus on Interests, not Positions"]
    P3["Invent Options for Mutual Gain"]
    P4["Insist on Objective Criteria"]

    P1c["Focus on the issue, not personalities.
Emotions and relationships matter."]:::context
    P2c["Ask 'Why?' and 'Why not?' to uncover true motivations."]:::context
    P3c["Brainstorm multiple solutions before deciding."]:::context
    P4c["Use fairness, standards, data — not pressure."]:::context

    P1 --> P2
    P2 --> P3
    P3 --> P4

    P1 -.-> P1c
    P2 -.-> P2c
    P3 -.-> P3c
    P4 -.-> P4c

    classDef context fill:#f9f9f9,stroke:#bbb,stroke-dasharray: 5 5,color:#333,font-style:italic;

Quick example:

Two people fight over an orange. One wants the peel for baking, the other the juice. Splitting it 50/50 satisfies neither. But understanding interests leads to a smarter solution.

• Separate people from problems.
  • “Be hard on a problem, not on the people”
  • Conflicts can be resolved without adversarial tactics - Try other’s side shoes.
• Focus on interests, not positions.
  • Ask “Why?” a lot
• Negotiation is joint problem-solving, not a battle.
  • Brainstorm separately, then together
  • Make it easy for the other side to decide.
• Both sides can benefit - win-win outcomes are possible.

Know Your BATNA

Your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement is your safety net (or hidden super-power).

• BATNA is what you’ll do if no deal is reached.
  • Example: If you’re negotiating a salary, another job offer is your BATNA.
• A strong BATNA improves your negotiation power (confidence + leverage).
• Don’t negotiate without knowing your BATNA - or theirs!
• Strong leaders don’t bluff. They know when to walk.

What If They Play Dirty?

Common tactics & Harvard responses

• Stonewalling or refusing to negotiate?
  • Reframe: Ask problem-solving questions like: “Why do you feel this won’t work?”
• Personal attacks?
  • Stay calm, acknowledge emotions, redirect to the problem.
• Deceptive tricks?
  • Expose the tactic politely: “Can we focus on facts and fairness?”
• Positional hard-bargainers?
  • Use objective criteria - bring attention back to interests.
• Stay open even when it’s hard
  • If pushed under the wall, change the rules of game.

Quick Tips & Takeaways

• Prepare: Know your BATNA before entering.
• Listen more than you talk. Most people just wait to talk.
• Stay calm under pressure. Frame negotiation as joint problem-solving.
  • Summarize and reframe to ensure common understanding, being on the same page.
• Use data, not pressure.

One sentence summary:

“Negotiation isn’t about defeating the other side; it’s about solving a problem together.”

Wrap-Up

“The Harvard Model gives you tools to lead, solve, and connect — not to fight.”

“In negotiation, you don’t get what you deserve — you get what you negotiate. But how you negotiate determines whether the outcome is a deal or a disaster.”

“It’s not about being nice — it’s about being wise.”

Enjoyed this post?