have an opportunity to create options that will meet your shared needs. Think, also, about possibilities that could create value by Aexpanding the pieA- and meeting additional needs. Search for options that will benefit all parties. Inevitably, there will be some interests that are shared and some interests that are not. In coming up with an agreement our goal should be to find ways to try and meet the needs of as many interests as possible. This may seem challenging, particularly when some of the interests arenA-t shared by both parties or are opposites. For example, a parent may want the ACadillacA- educational model, and the school district may want the AChevroletA- educational model. How will you reach agreement? One way to determine acceptable solutions is to decide on a fair, objective standard against which the solutions can be measured. The standard may be a selection of the most important interests, or it may be some other standard agreed upon by the participants. Now that youA-ve done the preparation - identified your interests and theirs, considered options, and a fair standard. - you are prepared for a collaborative problem solving meeting. The most important thing you can bring to this meeting, along with your preparedness, is your open mind. As you gain more information and insight about their interests (and maybe about yours), allow yourself to be flexible, capable of considering new ideas and revising your thinking. Though it is important to have a sense of where you are going,