Additionally, when numerous people from the same agency participate, decision authority is at times unclear. Third, if a party becomes too focused on the representativeness issue, substantive issues can become secondary, thus hindering progress in a negotiation. Fourth, beyond who is involved in the negotiations is the importance of how interests are represented. Negotiations are hampered when participants frequently have to seek approval from others. Representatives must be prepared for negotiations.
Success is more likely when participants understand the process, timetable, and issues.
Continuity in who is representing each party is important. When participants are replaced, trust and understanding must be rebuilt. Parties should be able to defer to one another's expertise. This requires mutual trust and respect. The most successful negotiations we studied reflected strong representativeness.