The best negotiations happen when we sit down with the other side, have a  discussion, make some concessions, and then reach a deal that both  sides can live with. 

We like these kinds of negotiations. However, not  all negotiations turn out this way. In fact, sometimes we run into  trouble. We reach a sticking point in our discussions that we just don’t  seem to have a way around. Both sides see the world differently and  it’s not clear how we can reach an agreement. These types of disputes  need to be resolved. 

As negotiators, we need to know what our options  for resolving disputes are.