Solution-Focused Negotiation

As last week's poll showed, there are now many domains in which the solution-focused approach is used. One of the applications of the solution-focused approach mentioned in the poll is negotiation. Up till now, to my knowledge, there were hardly any publications on how to apply solution-focused principles and techniques to negotiation but now there is one. English solutionists Shakya Kumara and Dr Mark McKergow have written the article The ART and MAGIC of Solutions Focused Negotiation. The article introduces two acronyms: ART and MAGIC. ART stands for: Agreement, Relationship and Time, three aspects of successful negotiations. MAGIC stands for Mapping, Aspirations, Ground, Innovations and Closure. Here is very brief explanation of MAGIC.

1. Mapping is about getting a clear picture of your desired outcome, how you might achieve this through this negotiation, and under what conditions you should simply walk away. 
2. Aspirations is about knowing what you want! 
3. Ground refers to two things: 1) beginning with common ground, 2) the separate ground of each party. 
4. Innovations refers to the creative problem solving process. 
5. Closure is the final stage of a negotiating process which draws together all that has gone before in building the MAGICand makes it real. 

Read the full article here.