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The Common Need Question

“The Common Need Question” is a short 7-minute practice from Zayenha Practice in the Social domain. Convert "me vs you" into "us vs the problem" with one question about a shared need. It draws on Interest-Based Negotiation. You can read its goal and first step for free; the full practice with every step and the interactive part comes with Plus.

Convert "me vs you" into "us vs the problem" with one question about a shared need.

7 min Intermediate

Goal

Move conflict from positional combat to needs-collaboration via one question that surfaces both sides wanting something similar underneath.

Steps

1

After hearing both sides, pause and say: "I see we disagree, but I think we want something similar".

5 more steps locked

Expected Outcome

Immediate

The other physically leans in — a signal the talk shifted from adversarial to cooperative.

Evidence base

School: Interest-Based Negotiation

Founders: Roger Fisher · William Ury (1981)

From Fisher and Ury's Getting to Yes: focusing on interests not positions resolves seemingly deadlocked conflicts.

Frequently asked questions

How long does "The Common Need Question" take?

This exercise takes about 7 minutes, practiced with another person in a Inner dialogue format.

When will I notice the effect of "The Common Need Question"?

The other physically leans in — a signal the talk shifted from adversarial to cooperative. In the short term: Within two weeks, a stuck partnership advances because you discovered a deeper shared goal.

Is "The Common Need Question" evidence-based?

Yes — it draws on Interest-Based Negotiation (Roger Fisher, William Ury (1981)). From Fisher and Ury's Getting to Yes: focusing on interests not positions resolves seemingly deadlocked conflicts.

Is "The Common Need Question" suitable for beginners?

Its difficulty level is: Intermediate. No external tools required — it can be practiced directly inside the platform.

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