Tense then relax each muscle group — one by one.

Define your Best Alternative before negotiating so you never accept a deal worse than what you already have.

Don't cling to position — find interest beneath. Flexibility without yielding.

Imagine worst "no" before negotiation — respond flexibly vs shocked.

Frame every proposal: "we both win by..." — extinguishes competition.

Before negotiation, negotiate with self: want? accept? refuse?

Define how to exit failed negotiation without burning bridges.

Instead of "I want raise", say "I want 15% raise due to X and Y, effective Jan 1".

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

Deep in conflict, ask: "What is the shared need we are both trying to meet?"

Convert mutual critique into a two-way SBI meeting with 5-whys for root cause.

When stakeholder A wants X, B wants opposite: don't pick — surface underlying interests.

Before any peer conflict escalates to the manager, apply these defined steps between yourselves first.

Before labeling someone "difficult", diagnose the specific type: are they anxious, ignored, or genuinely conflicted in interest?