MODULE 1
NEGOTIATION STYLES
Negotiation Styles
A course for institutional leaders
From Dispatches from an Internet Pioneer · Timothy Chester
Drawing on the work of Chester Karrass and Chris Voss
MODULE 1 · THE THREE STYLES
The Credibility Cycle
MODULE 1 · THE THREE STYLES
Negotiation Is Constant
- Most leaders don't think of themselves as negotiators — but they negotiate every day
- Resource allocation, scope management, expectation-setting, relationship maintenance under pressure
- The terms may not be explicit. The dynamics are the same.
- Style awareness: recognize what is happening and respond deliberately rather than instinctively
The question is not whether you negotiate. It is whether you understand your own instincts well enough to do it well.
MODULE 1 · THE THREE STYLES
Two Thinkers, Two Questions
Chester Karrass
- Negotiation as structured discipline
- Preparation over improvisation
- Timing and disciplined concession
- Concessions must be earned, not given
- “You don’t get what you deserve. You get what you negotiate.”
Chris Voss
- FBI hostage negotiator — the emotional and psychological layer
- Tactical empathy: listening without conceding
- Calibrated questions, mirroring, labeling
- Silence as leverage
- Three negotiation styles: Assertive, Accommodator, Analyst
MODULE 1 · THE THREE STYLES
Three Instinctive Styles
Each style is a coherent pattern of default behavior — not a strategy, not a flaw.
The Assertive
- Moves fast, drives toward outcomes
- Time is the primary currency
- Tells rather than asks
- Every silence is an opportunity to speak more
- Counterparts always know where they stand
The Accommodator
- Builds the relationship first
- Relationship is the primary currency
- Listens openly, uses inclusive language
- Attentive to whether people feel heard
- Most likely to maintain rapport across hard outcomes
The Analyst
- Prepares thoroughly, thinks precisely
- Certainty is the primary currency
- Skeptical by nature; avoids surprises
- Treats silence as a working state
- Identifies structural causes others miss
MODULE 1 · THE THREE STYLES
The Assertive
Strengths
- Momentum — moves projects forward, prevents ambiguity from lingering
- Directness reduces communication transaction costs
- Counterparts always know where they stand
- Strong correlation with institutional accountability
Primary Risk
- Reads pressure as a direct challenge — instinct is to counter-push
- Silence = suppressed frustration, not patience
The Discipline
- Hold the pause — silence is presence, not concession
Core Orientation
- Time is the primary currency
- Moves fast, drives toward outcomes
- Direct — counterparts know where they stand
- Reads hesitation as incompetence or resistance
- Tells rather than asks; every silence is an opportunity to speak more
MODULE 1 · THE THREE STYLES
The Accommodator
Strengths
- Rapport as genuine leverage — not decoration
- Reads the room accurately and adjusts accordingly
- Most likely to sustain a working relationship across a difficult outcome
- Often keeps a difficult conversation from becoming a damaging one
Primary Risk
- Premature concession — gives something away before the real negotiation begins
- Leaves own objections unspoken; they shape implementation anyway
The Discipline
- Whoever fills the silence first typically gives something up
- Hold silence rather than spend it
Core Orientation
- Relationship is the primary currency
- Builds the relationship first, agreement second
- Listens well; uses inclusive language
- Attentive to whether people feel heard
- Goal: to be on great terms with counterpart
MODULE 1 · THE THREE STYLES
The Analyst
Strengths
- Methodical, data-driven, deeply prepared — rarely surprised at the table
- Identifies structural causes while others argue symptoms
- Positions hold up under scrutiny
- Analyst credibility compounds — consistently right earns lasting institutional trust
Primary Risk
- Withdrawal when things feel irrational or disorderly
- Goes quiet precisely when the room needs their voice most
The Discipline
- Silence from an Analyst is a working state — do not fill it
- “Give me a moment” keeps you in the conversation
Core Orientation
- Certainty is the primary currency
- Prepares thoroughly; avoids surprises
- Skeptical by nature — wants more before committing
- Treats silence as a working state, not a problem
- Identifies structural causes while others debate symptoms
MODULE 1 · THE THREE STYLES
Dominant and Secondary Styles
- Most people have a dominant style and a secondary one
- The dominant style fires first — your default under pressure
- The secondary style shapes behavior as conditions shift
Examples
- Assertive + Analyst: wants a fast result that is also defensible
- Accommodator + Assertive: holds hard positions until relational cost becomes visible, then pulls back
- Analyst + Accommodator: will push back on facts, but may do so slowly — after the leverage window has passed
The secondary style often becomes most visible precisely when the dominant style is under the most strain.
MODULE 1 · THE THREE STYLES
Module 1 Summary
The credibility cycle
Negotiation is the mechanism that determines which path you are on. Every scope conversation, every resource discussion, every managed expectation either builds credibility or spends it.
Three styles, three currencies
Assertive: time. Accommodator: relationship. Analyst: certainty. Each is a coherent instinct — not a strategy, not a flaw.
The goal of this framework
Pattern recognition — directed both inward and outward. Understanding your own default gives you a moment of recognition when you need it most.
MODULE 1 · THE THREE STYLES
Know Your Style: Take the Assessment
Before continuing to Module 2, take the five-minute negotiation style assessment.
- 20 questions · Results in under 5 minutes
- Identifies your dominant and secondary style
- Covers your core orientation, natural behaviors, and kryptonite
- Worth retaking after completing this course
Knowing your result before Module 2 makes the depth coverage more concrete and personal.
Narration Script