Negotiations are comprised of small groups of people struggling to accomplish a mission. Such groups can be viewed as teams. Teams are management challenges. When viewed collectively, the two opposing negotiating forces actually comprise a potential team populated by competing forces. This discord threatens the team environment.

If you are expanding your team, you are adding the management challenge of having to manage the people on your team. You assume responsibility for your team's preparation, pre-engagement research and the role each co-negotiator will play. You need most importantly to establish a global goal for the team and strategy for the pending session. If you are part of a negotiating team but not the team leader, make sure you know the team's goals and objectives. If they are not clear, ask for clarification. Success is being part of a winning team; not knowing why your team failed. Worse yet is to not know why! If the other side brings in a team of negotiators, You need to take steps to engage and manage their team.

If you are facing a team of negotiators, welcome the opportunity as a management challenge. Apply basic team building tactics to begin to merger the two teams:

- Welcome the other team to the negotiation.

- Observe the other team's pecking order and note who your prime opponent defers to, if anyone. This may tell you who the real decision maker is.

- Don't assume the primary speaker is the actual team leader or decision maker.

- Pepper random members of the other team to uncover latent leaders or issues that need to be addressed. Interview each new member of the team as to their role, qualifications and specific area of expertise.

- Establish your role as the overall discussion leader stating clearly and concisely the objective of the day