Disruptive ideas, by their very nature, are difficult execute. This is a problem for someone trying to push through innovations. Simultaneous agreement of conservative decision-making bodies such as governments, boards and city councils can be near impossible. Opposition can often only be overcome with strong sequential negotiation skills.

Citing coalition-building tactic from Gulf War I, the 1985 Plaza Accord that revalued the dollar, Clinton’s NAFTA negotations and others, James Sebenius presents four key tips in an essay taken from the book Wise Choices. (I read the essay in preparation for a conference organized next week at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government by the World Economic Forum.)

Negotiations that involve a coalition or group decision can either be:

I – Simultaneous – All parties sit in one room.
Open and collective decisions encourage buy-in from all stakeholders and generate new options through brainstorming in debate, but can make original and controversial initiatives impossible to undertake.

II – Sequential – Many bilateral negotiations.
A sequential approach allow an innovator to overcome blocks and hurdles that would arise in general discussion, but the methods can be sneaky, manipulative and even unethical.

In selecting the approach consider:

a – Failure potential within simultaneous negotiations.

b – The value (or detriment) of getting some players on board first.

c – Cost in time and resources to conduct bilateral negotiations.

When undertaking sequential negotiation be wary of folk maxims such as:

- Isolate opponents

- Get allies on board first

- Start with easy parties and then get hard ones

- Get an internal consensus before negotiating externally

Instead, Sebenius argues looking beyond individuals and coalitions to actually map out relationships of key players:

a – Exploit patterns of deference – Convince those who can convince others through deference, influence or antagonism.

b – Progressively worsen the no-deal alternative – Make non-supporters feel their standing worsens by not joining.

c – Build inevitability – Create momentum by getting a series of parties to agree. Momentum can even be built outside those whose support what you need: Foreign leaders’ support of a presidential policy can be used to persuade a reluctant Congress and US population.

d – Reveal information selectively – Basic negotiation skill for someone trying to buy out small landowners to create a large tract. Don’t reveal your final objective too soon.

Interesting points, but is he a modern day Machiavelli? (If you like his ideas, it appears that you can employ him for consultancy work here)

Any further thoughts?

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