Negotiation Worksheet

A negotiation worksheet is a document that outlines the key points and goals of a negotiation. It can be used to prepare for a negotiation, track progress during the negotiation, and keep track of agreements and commitments after the negotiation is completed. Here’s what a typical negotiation worksheet might include:

1. Introduction: Briefly describe the purpose of the negotiation and the parties involved.

2. Objectives: Outline the key objectives of each party, including their interests, priorities, and goals. It is useful at this stage to consider what might be the personal goals of your interlocutor (remember GDPR if you record such information)

3. Issues: Identify the main issues that will be negotiated and prioritize them.

4. Alternatives: Brainstorm and list out possible alternative solutions to the issues at hand.

5. BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement): List the best alternative for each party if the negotiation does not result in an agreement.

6. Concessions: Identify areas where each party may be willing to make concessions.

7. BATNA Analysis: Evaluate each alternative and prioritize the options based on their value, feasibility and concessions you are prepared to make.

8. Negotiating Points: Outline the key points that will be discussed during the negotiation.

9. Final Agreement: Summarize the final agreement reached during the negotiation, including any commitments or agreements made by each party.

10. Follow-Up: Schedule a follow-up meeting or set a deadline for reviewing the agreement and ensuring that both parties are on track to meeting their commitments.

This is a basic outline of what a negotiation worksheet could look like, and different negotiations may require a different structure or format. The most important thing is to make sure the worksheet serves as an effective tool for preparing for and conducting the negotiation.

When contemplating a large complex contract, there may be many many negotiations to be had on the detail of the services and contract. As such, the worksheet approach can help your team maintain consistency across all such negotiations and is especially helpful if concessions are required to ensure they are not one-sided. If you would like to discuss this idea further, please get in touch.