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Positions Versus Interests

The distinction between interests and positions separates what someone is asking for on the surface, their position, from the underlying need it is meant to satisfy, their interest. You will learn why negotiations stall when parties argue over positions but can often be resolved when the underlying interests are surfaced and found to be compatible. You will practice asking why a position matters to uncover the interest behind it.

Chief Galen Tyrol Video

William Ury on Asking 'Why' to Find the Interest Behind a Position

Getting to Yes co-author William Ury explains why negotiations should start by asking 'why' a position matters, to surface the underlying interest that a position is only one way of satisfying.