One of the techniques is to write the problem on a whiteboard and to get the parties to combine against an objective problem external to them. In most negotiations there is a conflict of positions and because it is difficult to agree on positions the parties reach an impasse. A position may obscure what a party really wants. The basic problem in negotiation lies not in conflicting positions, but in the conflict between each side s interest, that is their needs, desires, concerns and fears . Where negotiating parties clarify their own interests and the interests of the other side they are able to increase their understanding of the problem.
Interests motivate people, they are the silent movers behind the clash of positions.
In the process of looking at the interests behind positions, the parties may discover that some interests are shared and others are different but compatible. Even when interests are in conflict, the parties may be able to invent solutions which meet the interests of both sides. In many cases a compromise is not the best possible settlement that could have been reached. The compromise approach assumes that there is a fixed pie which has to be distributed between the relevant parties. Instead negotiations should attempt to enlarge the pie, before dividing it.