Negotiation
Reaching agreement between parties with differing needs through discussion and compromise.
Negotiation is a structured discussion used throughout the project to reach mutually acceptable agreements on resources, schedules, contracts, costs, and scope changes. The PMP ECO treats it as a core People-domain skill because project managers rarely hold direct authority over every party they depend on, making persuasion and compromise essential. The key exam distinction is between principled negotiation, which targets underlying interests and seeks win-win outcomes that preserve long-term relationships, and positional bargaining, where each side defends a fixed stance. PMP questions favor principled, collaborative negotiation. In contract scenarios, clear, well-defined requirements give the project manager the strongest negotiating foundation.
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