Getting to Yes

Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

By: Roger Fisher, William Ury

Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris

Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

Getting to Yes is a straightorward, universally applicable method for negotiating personal and professional disputes without getting taken - and without getting angry.

It offers a concise, step-by-step, proven strategy for coming to mutually acceptable agreements in every sort of conflict - whether it involves parents and children, neighbors, bosses and employees, customers or corporations, tenants or diplomats. Based on the work of the Harvard Negotiation Project, a group that deals continually with all levels of negotiation and conflict resolution, from domestic to business to international, Getting to Yes tells you how to:

• Separate the people from the problem
• Focus on interests, not positions
• Work together to create opinions that will satisfy both parties
• Negotiate successfully with people who are more powerful, refuse to play by the rules, or resort to "dirty tricks"

©2011 Roger Fisher, William Ury, and Bruce Patton (P)2011 Simon & Schuster

Excellent book about negotiation techniques

What was one of the most memorable moments of Getting to Yes?

The examples are clear and helpful in applying the techniques to real world situations

What’s an idea from the book that you will remember?

The difference between principled and positional negotiation can be summed up quite easily in an example the author gives: two people in a library, person A wants the window closed and person B wants the window open. Two positions that are pretty much irreconcilable if the two parties simply stand by their positions and refuse to budge; there seems no way to negotiate an answer that will satisfy both. However, if the librarian comes in and looks at their interests rather than their positions, she may learn that person A wants the window open because they want fresh air (maybe the dust is making them allergic) while person B wants the window closed because he didn't bring a jacket and will be cold in a draft. Now the librarian can offer several solutions that might resolve the disagreement - open a window further away from person B, turn up the heat, offer person A allergy medications, increase the cleaner's schedule for dusting, etc. Looking at the interests instead of the positions may turn up several ways to resolve the dispute to both people's satisfaction, none of which will be discovered if they insist on sticking to their principles and looking at the dispute in only that light.

Any additional comments?

This is a book about negotiation skills, and in particular what the author calls principled negotiation (considering the interests of both parties) as opposed to positional negotiation (taking positions). It's a very interesting book, clearly explaining the weakness of positional negotiation and how to change the discussion to a more productive examination of all parties' interests.

fantastic book

This book gives very helpful and very useful information for addressing conflicts ranging from everyday matters up through huge ones.

Useful in the end

I found the beginning of the book longwinded and slow, but the useful examples in the end made it worthwhile.

A refreshing take on the win-win problem

What did you love best about Getting to Yes?

The alternative options for getting to yes are excellent. They punctuate the theory with timely examples of how to actually use the concept in both big corporate and smaller at-home examples of negotiation situations.

Useful information, good narrator

Contains really solid advice on how to become a better negotiator, that is, to treat others fairly and look for mutual gain. This book changed a lot of misconceptions I had, since I thought that successful negotiations consisted of maximizing one's gains at the expense of the other person. Liked the narrator, too.

Vey practical information

Good reading and practical information to consider as one negotiates. As the author states, none of the information is new but sites nice examples of how it can be used. While many examples may be dated, the application is timeless.

very informative<br />

it's good life skills to have. it applies to many situations in our daily life.

changed me

This book is amazing. It gets to the heart of the mediation relationship, how it should be and gives practical advice to bring people on board. I bought the paper back version and the audiobook so I didn't have to put it down. There is enough humor to teach and get the point across without making the book amateurish or campy. The production value is great. The narrator does a fantastic job. I can't say enough about the entire experience. I recommend this book to anyone whether you're a founder of a coalition, a professional mediator or looking to be married. This book and the information works on every level.

Important and still relevant

I'm a lawyer and I recognize both the things I'm doing right... And things I'm doing wrong. I plan on going thru this book again and taking notes! I recommend this book to anyone who isn't a hermit.... On second thought, I recommend it to them too.

must listen for consultants

Are you in the advisory business? Then you need this book and the following book.