Dr. Lon Roberts is a business efficiency consultant and negotiations instructor with Roberts & Roberts Associates in Plano, Texas. He is the co-author, with Sharon Roberts, of a book titled "Fast Fatless Facts On Negotiating." He may be reached at Lon@R2assoc.com or visit www.R2assoc.com.
You will be at a distinct disadvantage if you insist on playing by win-win rules if the other party believes in and is skilled at the win-lose approach - and all the more so if he or she is adept at hiding this fact, which may well be the case.