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Getting Past NO

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2K views1 page

Getting Past NO

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Uploaded by

Noel Kl
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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William Ury

GETTING PAST NO

At business schools or in professional semi- portant suggestions, designed to convert


nars, you cannot study negotiation without at confrontational situations into cooperative
least hearing about Getting to YES. This creative problem solving:
1981 book by Harvard professors Roger
Don't react. When under pressure or being
Fisher and William Ury sold more than two
attacked, step back and reflect.
millions copies and laid a strong foundation
for the concept of win-win negotiating. Alas, Don't argue. Instead, try to understand
it seemed less useful for international nego- your counterparts positions and agree
tiators, as some of its key tactics assume with them to the extent possible.
counterparts that are balanced and receptive
Don't reject. Don't push back on others
to rational arguments. While this assumption
positions, but try to reframe them to un-
may not always work in the U.S., either, it
derstand the underlying interests.
tends to fail miserably in, say, Russia or Co-
lombia, where negotiations can become Don't push your own ideas or proposals.
highly emotional and irrational. Try to work with your counterparts to
come up with solutions that best match
This is what makes Bill both sides interests.
Urys subsequent book
Getting Past NO, origi- Don't escalate. When the above fails, don't
nally published in 1991 escalate the situation. Instead, think
and recently reissued, about alternative scenarios and introduce
a tremendous value: them in compelling ways.
like no other, it fo-
cuses on the situations Getting Past NO remains focused on win-win
that make domestic outcomes. What makes it highly practical is
negotiations (some- that the book suggests powerful ways to
times) and interna- move forward in situations where many ne-
tional ones (often) dif- gotiators no longer know how to get past a
ficult: when counter- problem. This "Breakthrough Strategy," as
parts insist on their Ury calls it, is as applicable for mediators as
views, dig in their heels, get highly emo- it is for negotiators. Throughout the book,
tional, or otherwise leave the rationalistic the author does not stop at explaining princi-
win-win framework we generally prefer. ples but excels with numerous practical sug-
gestions with immediate applicability. Getting
Ury discusses the nuances of navigating such Past NO thus provides a powerful toolset for
situations through a joint problem solving all of us facing potentially difficult negotia-
approach that is "interest based" rather than tions.
based on rights or power. He makes five im-

TM
Leadership Crossroads 6122 Bryan Parkway, Dallas, TX 75206 This book review solely represents the opinions and conclusions of its author.
469-233-3538 fax 214-764-6655 It does not claim to be accurate, complete, or objective.

[email protected] www.leadershipcrossroads.com Leadership CrossroadsTM, 2008

Lothar Katz is the founder of Leadership Crossroads. He has a wealth of experi-


ence in achieving productive cooperation across cultures and driving business
success on a global scale.
A seasoned former executive of Fortune 500 company Texas Instruments, he
regularly interacted with employees, customers, outsourcing partners, and third
parties in more than 25 countries around the world, including many parts of
Asia. Mr. Katz is the author of Negotiating International Business The Nego-
tiators Reference Guide to 50 Countries Around the World.

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