In this episode you will
- Distinguish positions from interests
- Uncover interests with questions
Two people argue over a single orange. They split it down the middle. One squeezes her half for juice and throws away the peel; the other grates his peel for a cake and throws away the fruit. Both got half of what they could have had. That story, used by negotiation teachers for decades, contains the most important idea in this series.
Part 1
Positions are what people say they want
A position is a stated demand: I want the whole orange, I need a 20% raise, the price is $50,000. Negotiations fought over positions become a tug-of-war, where any gain for one side is a loss for the other, and the usual outcome is splitting the difference.
Positions are easy to see, which is why most negotiators start and end with them.
Part 2
Interests are why they want it
An interest is the need, worry or goal underneath a position: I want juice, I need to keep up with rising rent, I need cash before year end.
The idea was popularised by Roger Fisher and William Ury in Getting to Yes (1981). Their insight: behind opposed positions there are often interests that are shared, different or compatible. Different interests are especially valuable, because they let both sides get more of what they care about.
Part 3
How to find interests
Interests rarely announce themselves. You surface them with questions:
- Why is that important to you?
- What would that allow you to do?
- What worries you about the alternative?
Then share your own interests, not just your demands. It feels riskier than holding a position, but it's what makes creative options possible.
A job offer, two ways
Position-based: The candidate asks for $10,000 more salary. The manager's budget allows $4,000. They haggle and settle at $5,000 by stretching the budget. Both leave mildly unhappy.
Interest-based: The manager asks, what's driving the number? The candidate explains a long commute and childcare costs. The manager explains the salary band is rigid this year, but the team's real interest is retaining strong hires.
New options appear:
- Two remote days a week, cutting commuting costs.
- A signing bonus from a different budget line.
- A formal salary review after six months.
The final package is worth more to the candidate than $10,000 extra, and it costs the company less. Nothing was split; value was created.
Written by Edusodes editors.Researched and written by our editorial team.
Key takeaways
- 1Positions are stated demands; interests are the needs and goals behind them.
- 2Bargaining over positions tends to end in splitting the difference.
- 3Different interests are opportunities: both sides can get more of what they value.
- 4Ask why, and share your own interests, to open up new options.
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