Interest based negotiation encourages disputants to focus on objectives rather than alternatives.
Positional bargaining embodies a strategy in which a series of positions are presented to other parties in a dispute in an effort to reach agreement. The positions are developed independently by each party in the negotiation, based on their interests and their perception of the other party's interests. Agreement is reached when the parties positions converge. In the figure above, this movement occurs along the right slope of the shaded triangle, with the best compromise half way between each disputants winner take all position. In interest based bargaining, the parties collaborate to meet each others needs and satisfy mutual interests.