Assess Your Negotiation Readiness

Are you confident that you are fully prepared for your upcoming negotiations?

Consider some key questions below to evaluate your negotiation strategy and identify areas where external support could help you secure the best possible, sustainable outcome.

By identifying and addressing gaps in your team’s negotiation and conflict resolution capabilities, iACTa Advisors equips your organization with the tools and expertise needed to ensure transformative and sustainable outcomes in the most complex and high-stakes negotiations.

Preparation and Strategy

• Is your team thoroughly prepared for negotiations, including analyzing the substance, aligning with long-term objectives, and anticipating challenges?

• Do you have a clear negotiation roadmap, including defined goals, acceptable trade-offs, and walk-away points?

• What are your alternatives to negotiation?

• Are your negotiation strategies adaptive to evolving circumstances, or do you stick rigidly to a predefined plan?

Negotiation Process

• Are you leveraging a structured negotiation process that balances strategy, tactics, and informal away-from-the-table discussions?

• Are you creating opportunities for value creation during negotiations, or are you focused solely on dividing the existing pie?

• How do you manage critical moments—such as the negotiation opening, anchoring, handling emotions, countering influencing techniques, and closing with a win-win outcome?

Team Composition and Collaboration

• Are the right people on your team actively participating in negotiations, with clear roles and responsibilities?

• Do you know when to involve external advisors or experts to fill gaps in your team’s capabilities?

• How do you intend to build hybrid teams by integrating in-house and external experts to tackle complex challenges?

Stakeholder Dynamics

• Do you deeply understand stakeholder dynamics—who they are, their positions, interests, emotional drivers, and potential identity issues?

• Are you actively engaging with all relevant stakeholders, including those who support the deal, those who may act as spoilers, and neutral parties?

• How well do you manage internal alignment? Is your team fully aligned on objectives, messaging, and tactics before entering negotiations?

• Do you have a strategy to address hidden stakeholders—those influencing the negotiation from the background?

Power Dynamics

• Do you understand the power balance between parties, and are you leveraging or mitigating it effectively?

• How do you manage situations where the other party seems to hold all the leverage?

Communication and Trust-Building

• Are you genuinely listening to the other party to uncover their real interests, or are you focused on reiterating your own positions?

• Are you skilled at framing your proposals in ways that appeal to the other party’s interests while advancing your own objectives?

• Are you creating and maintaining a foundation of trust with the other party?

Cultural and Contextual Sensitivity

• Are you prepared to navigate cultural differences in negotiation styles, expectations, and communication norms?

• How do you adjust your negotiation approach to align with the cultural context of the other party?

Emotional and Behavioral Factors

• How effectively do you manage your own emotions during negotiations?

• Are you equipped to navigate and address the emotional responses of the other party?

• Do you understand your own biases and blind spots, and do you have strategies to mitigate their impact on the negotiation?

Conflict Management

• How do you approach impasses or deadlocks in negotiations?

• Are you prepared to shift from a confrontational stance to a collaborative problem-solving approach when required?

Risk and Post-Negotiation Management

• How do you assess and mitigate risks associated with potential negotiation outcomes, including reputational, operational, or financial risks?

• Do you have a plan to ensure that agreements are effectively implemented and monitored after the negotiation concludes?

• How do you handle situations where the other party fails to uphold their commitments?