Negotiation, Compromise & Decision-Making Tools

Ten key vocabulary terms covering negotiation concepts, compromise depth, and common engineering decision-making tools.

Negotiation

A structured discussion between two or more parties aimed at reaching a mutually acceptable agreement.

Compromise

An agreement in which each side concedes something, so both can achieve a workable resolution of a conflict.

Perspective Taking

The cognitive skill of considering the thoughts, motives, and interests of negotiation counterparts.

Empathy

The ability to recognize and share another person’s emotions and feelings during interaction.

Pareto Optimality

A state in which no party can be made better off without making another worse off—used to judge the ‘best-worst’ outcome in compromise.

Shallow Compromise

A basic trade-off where parties exchange concessions without revisiting deeper principles or values.

Deep Compromise

A thorough settlement requiring parties to adapt core ideals and co-create a new, mutually beneficial way forward—close to collaboration.

Decision Matrix

A table that ranks options against weighted criteria to pinpoint the most suitable choice.

Fishbone Diagram

A cause-and-effect (Ishikawa) diagram that organizes potential root causes of a problem into categorical ‘bones.’

Decision Tree

A branching diagram that maps choices, probabilities, and payoffs to evaluate and select optimal decisions.