French negotiation recognizes that constraints exist—legal requirements, institutional rules, procedural norms—and skilled negotiation works within these constraints rather than ignoring them. Invest in understanding the applicable frameworks before negotiating. Know what is negotiable and what is fixed by law, policy, or procedure. Attempting to negotiate what cannot be negotiated wastes effort and damages credibility.
However, within constraints, discretion often exists. Finding where flexibility lies and how to access it is negotiation skill. The negotiator who masters relevant frameworks—labor law, contractual requirements, industry practices—gains advantage over those who do not. Framework knowledge is negotiating resource.
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