Get the big picture
Get the big picture. Avoid assuming you have all the facts, assuming the other side is biased but you’re not, and assuming the other sides motivations and int Intentions are obvious and probably nefarious. Instead, be curious, help me to understand how you see the situation, be humble or do I have wrong? And, be open minded is there another way to explain this?.
— from Communication & Conflict (Communication/Conflict) · Mental Toughness by HBR
In the book
You can tell within minutes which one you are in: whether the other side is treating it as a contest to win as many points as possible, or whether they will say, "I understand why these three things matter to you, and I'd like you to understand why these other three matter to me" — and that kind of dialogue works, and goes on working, for decades. So get the big picture first: solicit the other side's view, stay curious and humble, and resist the assumption that you already know their motives. Ask, plainly, why is this important to you? — and build trust before you try to bargain, rather than papering over a breach with concessions. — Communication & Conflict (Communication/Conflict)