But you just really get the sense, when you…
But you just really get the sense, when you get into the nitty-gritty of the negotiation, about whether the counterparty is viewing everything as a zero-sum game and just trying to win as many points as possible, or whether they're willing to take a view of the issues from both sides of the table. And that's the easiest lens to look through. If a partner is going to sit down and say, "I understand why these three things are important to you, and I'd like you to understand why these other three things are important to me," well, that is the kind of dia-logue that really, really works and foreshadows behavior over the next decade or two.
— from Communication & Conflict (Communication/Conflict) · Holy Grail of Investing: The World's Greatest Investors Reveal Their Ultimate Strategies f
In the book
This is the difference between a zero-sum fight and a real negotiation. 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. — Communication & Conflict (Communication/Conflict)