Positions and interests
Θέση και συμφέρον
A position is the thing a person states they want. An interest is what that position is protecting, and two incompatible positions very often sit on top of interests that can both be met.
How to spot it
Ask the other person one question: what happens for you if this goes the other way?
The research behind the term
The term is not our invention. It comes from published research, and what follows is what that research found — our own synthesis of the published abstract, not a translation of the original.
Fisher, R., & Ury, W. (1981). Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In — πηγή
What it found
- A generally applicable method of negotiation is proposed, aimed at mutually satisfying agreements rather than victory for one side.
- First principle: separate the people from the problem.
- Second principle: focus on interests, not positions.
- Third principle: work together to find creative and fair options.
How it found it
A method book that emerged from the Harvard Negotiation Project; it sets out a step-by-step framework of principles rather than primary empirical research.
What it means for conflict management
A disagreement de-escalates once it stops being a clash of positions: behind two irreconcilable positions there are almost always interests that can be reconciled.
Practised in
The term does not stay a definition. It appears inside missions where the pattern happens in real time and you have to recognise it as it happens to you.
Two Managers
Sources
Every claim on this page maps to published research. The citations link to the original source.
- Fisher, R., & Ury, W. (1981). Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In — Source on penguinrandomhouse.com