It is common for dispute managers, technical experts, politicians, and other individuals with leadership roles in the dispute to offer solutions. Rarely are these solutions warmly received. Participants in the process must be continually involved in finding solutions, agreeing on a range of options, and building an agreement that is mutually satisfying and can be implemented. They own the problem and must create the solution. Principle 7 - For solutions to be lasting they must be based on interests rather than positions.
Interests define the problem.
It is very common, however, for interests to gel into positions. Positions are steadfast decisions that we make based upon our interests. Positions are the trenches we dig for ourselves to remind us of what we cannot tolerate rather than what we can. Positions suggest that others' needs are unreasonable. If positions determine the direction of the negotiations, resulting agreements are not likely to be either mutually satisfying or long lasting.