The Danger of Blinker Negotiation Style

A Blinker is a tool used to narrow horse's sight to force his/her focus on a racing track. Although, for horses, blinkers are useful and help them to achieve a goal that they are meant to do (transportation or/and racing), for human, it is extremely a bad idea to wear a Blinker in negotiation process. One of the most learnt lessons in negotiation is that a big picture strategy is almost always the only way to accomplish a beneficial agreement for each party involved in a deal making process. A one cannot understand others' interests if he/she only focus on his/her interests, not taking into account others thoughts, desires and goals, which could lead to weak deal or negative impression that probably cause relationships to collapse.

For instance, one of my employees asked for a salary rise, this is not the problem for me, the issue was that he requested a 80% increase only because the average salary of legal consultants in his level of experience is higher than his current wage, moreover, a friend of him is receiving the same number that was asked by him.

However, my  dear employee is refusing the approach  I  proposed to him to ask only for a 50% rise and an intensive English Language course (as he does not have the language), my goal from this proposal is to improve my employee's financial status as he needed a "push" in his income, and to appreciate his achievement as he became a legible for attorney license. My reservation on his approach was that the timing of his request as his wage was increased only eight months ago, also the unfair comparison between himself and his other colleagues, especially that he does not have a second language like most of them. Furthermore, our employer has unwritten policy that salaries must not be as high as other companies in other sectors, therefore, a comparison with a person who works for insurance company, for example, is not fair.

Finally, taking into account all aspects of the situation you would engage in and studying all expected scenarios and other party's interest and trying to accommodate them is an essential tools to achieve fruitful contractual relationship.

P.S. My dear employee got a %50 rise and an intensive English Course equal to $4000.