Japanese negotiation invests heavily in groundwork before any formal negotiation session. Nemawashi—informal consultation with stakeholders—builds understanding and consensus before decisions are made. By the time a formal meeting occurs, the outcomes are largely determined; the meeting confirms what has already been agreed.
This means that effective negotiation requires investing in relationships, having informal conversations, understanding concerns before they are raised formally, and adjusting positions gradually through preliminary discussions. Walking into a formal negotiation expecting to bargain from scratch will likely fail—the real negotiation has already happened, and you were not there. Preparation means not just knowing your position but having already built the relationships and understandings that will enable agreement.
Comments