Negotiation

The process of trying to arrive at an agreement through often cordial and respectful discussions. For negotiations to be successful and offer longevity of agreement there will typically need to be compromise on all sides, and with all sides having gained the trust and respect of the other and with there being a genuine satisfaction with the outcome.

However, where negotiations result in compromise but where one party has gained significantly more than the other and especially where arguable practices took place to achieve the outcome, then this will unlikely lead to a long-lasting outcome. The consequences of this will often involve acrimonious interpretations of the conditions of the agreement and a relatively breakdown in relationships between the parties, requiring additional (costly and time-consuming) renegotiation later on.