TIME TO DETERMINE ‘ZOPA’

ZOPA - Zone Of Possible Agreement acronym with marker, business

If you are about to begin a negotiation or mediation, you may wonder when the timing is right to determine your ‘ZOPA’ (zone for possible agreement).

  1. The simple answer is that there is no single time to work out your ZOPA. As you prepare before beginning any formal meetings, you gather new information about the other party(ies).
  2. That information will deal with the other’s financial strengths and weaknesses, methods, and performance abilities. As you gather that information, you should redetermine your ZOPA.
  3. By redefining your ZOPA, you redefine the options that seem workable and reject those that do not.
  4. The more often you re-examine your ZOPA, the closer you will get to the options most likely to produce a ‘win-win’.

About The Author

Jack Zwicker