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Philosophy
Sun Tzu and the Art of Negotiation
Ancient wisdom from a master of deception
For decades, business people all over the world have equated negotiation to warfare, and many have used Sun Tzu’s treatise The Art of War as an instruction manual to set the odds in their favor.
Think about the last job interview you had. You sat across the table from someone in what you thought was a conversation about whether or not you were a good fit for that position and their company culture. But that was only half of it. This was a negotiation — you wanted less work for more pay, and they wanted the most work for the least pay.
When two sides want opposite things, you have to negotiate to find common ground. When it comes to nations, a failure to negotiate can lead to war, which is why The Art of War includes several instructions on how to converse with your opponent.
As someone who has studied The Art of War since high school and has been on both sides of many negotiating tables, from service contracts to job interviews, here’s what I’ve learned are the most relevant teachings from Sun Tzu regarding the art of negotiation.
