Words Into Works #109 | The EASY Treatment Process

In the fast-paced world we live in, negotiation is an inevitable part of our daily interactions. Still, many of us experience a deep-seated fear of negotiation, aptly termed “negotiaphobia” by Don Hutson and George Lucas.

The fear often stems from a misconception that negotiation is inherently confrontational, a win-lose battle where one party’s gain is the other’s loss. (Roger Fisher also writes about negotiaphobia in Getting to Yes, a book we explored in Issue #091.)

However, in The One Minute Negotiator, Hutson and Lucas debunk this myth, presenting the EASY treatment process as a transformative tool for not only overcoming this fear but also reaching more effective agreements.

The EASY Treatment Process

The EASY treatment process stands for Engage, Assess, Strategize, and Your One-Minute Drill. This approach redefines negotiation as a structured process aimed at achieving mutual satisfaction rather than as a contest to be won.

Let’s delve deeper into each component.

Engage: This initial step involves recognizing that you’re in a negotiation scenario and deciding how you’ll approach the other party. It’s a critical phase in which you choose to be proactive rather than reactive, setting the tone for the negotiation.

Assess: Here, you identify your own negotiating tendencies and evaluate those of your counterpart. Understanding both sides’ negotiation styles is crucial to developing an effective strategy.

Strategize: Based on your assessment, you then select the most appropriate strategy for the situation. Hutson and Lucas outline four main negotiation strategies: avoidance, accommodation, competition, and collaboration. Each has its place, but collaboration is highlighted as the most effective, aiming for win-win outcomes.

Your One-Minute Drill: Before entering the negotiation, review your engagement plan, assessment, and strategy. This reflection helps clarify your approach, ensuring you enter the negotiation with a clear, focused mindset.

Applying the EASY Treatment Process in Your Life

Imagine you’re negotiating a salary increase. Initially, you might feel apprehensive, fearing rejection or conflict. Applying the EASY process, you would start by engaging with the reality of the negotiation, recognizing it as an opportunity for mutual gain.

Assessing the situation, you would consider your value to the company and your employer’s potential concerns. Strategizing, you might decide that collaboration—focusing on how your contributions meet your employer’s needs—is the best approach. Finally, in your one-minute drill, you might mentally rehearse your strategy, boosting your confidence.

This structured approach demystifies the negotiation process, making it more manageable and less intimidating. Furthermore, it empowers you to navigate negotiations with confidence, focusing on achieving outcomes that benefit all involved.

Conclusion

The big idea of overcoming negotiaphobia with the EASY treatment process from The One Minute Negotiator is not just a method for improving negotiation outcomes; it’s a paradigm shift in how we view and engage in negotiations.

By understanding and applying the EASY process, we can turn the art of negotiation into a strength, opening doors to opportunities we might have otherwise avoided and reaching satisfying agreements in all areas of our lives.