President Trump likes to tout his skills as a negotiator. He has said the U.S. would make great deals on trade and military hardware during his presidency.
But leaked transcripts of Trump’s calls with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull don’t exactly position the president as dealmaker-in-chief.
In their landmark book “Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement without Giving In,” Roger Fisher and William Ury outline six guidelines the authors, who founded the Harvard Negotiation Project, say can help both sides achieve more of what they want.
The guidelines appear below in italics, followed by ways that Trump failed to use them in his back-and-forth with Pena Nieto about paying for a wall along the border or his exchange with Turnbull about whether the U.S. will honor a promise by President Obama to accept 1,250 refugees who are currently detained in Australia.
Separate the people from the problem.
Negotiators should try to imagine the situation from the viewpoint of their counterpart.
Pena Nieto explains to Trump “the lack of margin” he has as president of Mexico to accept claims that his country will pay for the wall. But he also tells Trump that he understands the “small political margin” that Trump has “in terms of everything you said that you established throughout your campaign.
Seven times, Pena Nieto uses the phrase “I understand” to acknowledge Trump’s position.
Trump, by contrast, says “I understand” once, to tell Pena Nieto that he, Trump, understands Hispanic voters “and they understand me.”
The closest Trump comes to acknowledging Pena Nieto’s position comes when Trump tells him, “we are both in a little bit of a political bind because I have to have Mexico pay for the wall – I have to.”
Focus on interests, not positions.
Draw out the interests that underlie your counterpart’s positions, with the goal of creating opportunities to explore tradeoffs.
To Trump’s credit, he asks Turnbull why it’s so important that the White House honor Obama’s promise to take the refugees. But Trump tells his counterpart, incorrectly, that it’s 2,000 people. Rather than answer the question, Turnbull corrects Trump, telling him it’s “not 2,000” but 1,250.
To which Trump replies that he’s also “heard like 5,000 as well,” without returning to the question he asked earlier. The exchange deteriorates from there.
Learn to manage emotions.
Be sure that you and your counterpart have opportunities to express any strong emotions that tie to your negotiation.
In his call with Turnbull, Trump expresses frustration after Turnbull suggests Trump can say that the agreement by his predecessor to accept the refugees “is not a deal that you would have done, but you are going to stick with it.”
Trump agrees he will say that, adding, “I think it is a horrible deal, a disgusting deal that I would have never made.”
Trump continues:
“As far as I am concerned that is enough Malcom [sic]. I have had it. I have been making these calls all day and this is the most unpleasant call all day. Putin was a pleasant call. This is ridiculous.”
Turnbull asks Trump if he would like to discuss Syria and North Korea.
“This is crazy,” Trump replies.
Turnbull thanks Trump for agreeing to honor the pledge. “It is very important to us,” Turnbull tells him.
Express appreciation.
Work to understand your counterpart’s perspective and communicate understanding of it through words and actions.
Trump does not convey to either of his counterparts that he understands their views. In contrast, Turnbull tells Trump that he understands Trump “is inclined to a different point of view” on the resettlement of refugees than Vice President Pence, who Turnbull said assured the Australians that the U.S. would honor the agreement to accept the refugees.
Put a positive spin on your message.
Communicate in a positive way, and speak only for yourself.
Pena Nieto stays positive. The call between Trump and Turnbull fills with acrimony and never recovers.
“Can you hear me out Mr. President” Turnbull asks Trump.
“Yeah, go ahead,” Trump replies.
Escape the cycle of action and reaction.
Rather than dig in, explore interests, invent options for mutual gain, and search for independent standards.
Besides trying to help Trump out of his bind by suggesting that Trump tell people he would not have agreed to resettle refugees if it were not for the promise by his predecessor. Turnbull adds that the exchange “requires, in return, for us to do a number of things for the United States.”
When Trump relents, Turnbull offers the prospect of returning the gesture in the future. “You can count on me,” he tells Trump. “I will be there again and again.”
“I hope so,” replies Trump, offering nothing.