Few of us earn a living negotiating agreements with presidents, prime ministers or dictators.

But most of us in our daily lives negotiate agreements with our bosses, colleagues, business partners, lovers, husbands, wives, and tradesmen who are repair our roof or replace out gas heater.

All of us will be one of two types of negotiators.

The positional negotiator argues for the best possible outcome in what is akin to a winner-take-all agreement. Important considerations
here are the relative power of the negotiating parties and the perceived nature of the relationship: is it long-term or is a one-off transaction being negotiated?

Principled negotiation is something different. This is a process that very often assumes a long-term relationship and the creation of value for both parties during the negotiation itself. The principled negotiation can result in a win-win. Both parties are better off.

What sort of negotiator are you?

And how effective are you as a professional negotiator?