This chapter will

• describe the pervasiveness of negotiation, which is why negotiation is so important

• offer some up-front advice about how to start becoming an effective negotiator

• provide a definition of negotiation and demonstrate some practical implications for negotiators

• introduce the notion of the DNA of negotiation.

We negotiate a great deal – more than we realise. Sometimes it goes smoothly, sometimes it seems difficult. While there is much advice around about how to negotiate and be a winning negotiator, the actual experience does not seem as straightforward as books suggest. Why? Because negotiation is a complex process. This book grapples with these complexities while recognising the idiosyncrasies of the negotiation process and of the negotiator.

This opening chapter explores some core complexities of negotiation and provides a foundation for later chapters. Although this book will focus on the business context, the principles and skills can be applied in other contexts, such as interpersonal negotiation, sales or when resolving legal, environmental and social issues. Very few people are employed solely as professional negotiators; for most of us it is just an integral, perhaps unrecognised, part of our job.