Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement A party’s BATNA is a measure of the balance of power among the negotiating parties based on the resources they control or can influence to respond to their interests that will be addressed in a given negotiation. “walking-in” BATNA, that group of resources in your pocket before negotiation begins, and the dynamic BATNA that changes as you gain information during the negotiation process gives you a sense of whether to undertake a negotiation and whether to quit once the process has begun.
Elements of BATNA
1.0 Deadlines: if you are under pressure to deliver a particular result within a tight time frame, your BATNA may be weaker than the BATNA of a party who at least claims to have all the time in the world.
2.0 Alternatives: you need to measure how each choice you make influence the likelihood that the negotiation will yield favorable results.
3.0 Your own sources: it is crucial to take look at the resources you can influence or control to achieve the objective. And it requires understanding whether there is more than one way to meet your interests.
4.0 Other parties’ resources: if the resources they offer to solve the problem are more comprehensive or more useful than yours, clearly that means their BATNA is stronger- at least in one area.
5.0 Information: The more information we have about the subject matter of the negotiation, the greater our capacity to assess our BATNA and parties with whom we’re negotiating.
6.0 Experience: informs us about the subject matter of each negotiation. In addition, our experience working with other parties gives us a sense of their level of sophistication, their capacity to make and fulfill agreements, and their negotiation style.
7.0 Interest: A clear understanding of our interests, the priority or significance of each interest, and knowing how possible solutions can help