DESIGNING THE STRUCTURE / 377Making a framework
Your agreed framework needs to be
sufficiently flexible to accommodate
changes in circumstance, but should
at least cover the elements below.An agreed venue Chinese
philosopher Sun Tzu’s Art of War
states that one should “lure the tiger
from the mountain”—that is, make
your counterpart leave their
comfortable environment. Ask
yourself how the choice of venue will
affect you and your team. At the very
least, ensure that you will have
access to the necessary support
(computers, secure phone lines, and
the necessary advisers).Elements of a successful framework
A framework for the negotiation
will most likely be suggested by
each of the participantsA clear agenda This should include
all the substantive issues and
interests that you and the other
party wish to negotiate. Clarify
the level of importance of each
issue and decide the order in which
issues should be discussed. Some
negotiators prefer to start with
easy issues, others tackle
everything together.US_376-377_Designing_the_structure_1.indd 377 30/05/16 3:06 pm