Assess the balance of power between two parties before negotiating
Balance of
power lies at the
heart of every negotiation. The side that holds it sets the process and dictates the terms. Yet
despite this
critical stake, most negotiators don't take the time to assess the Balance of
power — let alone understand how to
shift it in their favor.
Misjudging the balance of power can put you at a disadvantage
before the
negotiation even begins. - Lack of confidence: Give the other side too much power, and you
may negotiate from a position of unnecessary
weakness making concessions too early, accepting unfavorable terms, or limiting your own room to
maneuver. - High confidence: Underestimate the other side, and you may walk into the
negotiation overconfident —Insufficient preparation, opening too extreme, not understanding their alternatives
or failing to identify their BATNA.
The risk is not simply
being wrong about who has more power. It is allowing a distorted perception of power to shape
your strategy, your
concessions, and ultimately the outcome.
This tool helps you close that gap. Follow the
guided process and
receive your personalized report at the end of the exercise.
Step 1 — Name the parties
What are the two parties
involved in this negotiation?
Step 2 — First evaluation of Balance of Power
What is your perception of the balance of power between the 2 parties?
This initial assessment is an opinion, a
subjective perception.
← Balance of power in your favorIn their favor →
50%
Party A
50%
Party B
Step 3 — Balance of Power Analysis
Following the initial subjective assessment, you will conduct a second, more analytical assessment by breaking down the balance of power into the different factors. Here are the suggested factors of power, and actions to take:
A. Select the factors that
impact the balance of power. B. For each factor, select the importance of that factor: it
can be Critical, Strong, Medium, or Low. C. Include any additional necessary factor.
📋
Preparation
📊
Information
👥
Team
🎯
Alignment
♟️
BATNA
⚖️
The Law
⏱️
Time
🏷️
Brands
🚀
Initiative
🤝
Relationship history
🌐
Networks & Influence
📝
Conditionality
🎓
Resources & Expertise
🔗
Dependency
📋
Preparation
How solid is your preparation? Have all scenarios been considered? How
well-prepared is the other party?
📊
Information
How strong are your data quality, analysis, reporting, and ability to turn
insight into action plans? Is data collection a manual process or automatic? What about the other side?
👥
Team
How strong are the team's negotiation skills and motivation to close the deal?
How much seniority, subject-matter knowledge, and internal influence do they have?
🎯
Alignment
How aligned are you within your own organization — across hierarchical levels
and with other departments? What about the other side? Are they aligned behind their strategy and actions?
♟️
BATNA
What alternative (plan B) do you have if no deal is reached? What alternative
does the other side have?
⚖️
The Law
How favorable is the legal or regulatory framework to your position? Does the
other side have a stronger compliance requirement that gives them more or less room to walk away?
⏱️
Time
What time pressures or deadlines are at play? Who needs this deal to close
fastest? What would each party gain from a quick deal?
🏷️
Brands
How strong are your brands? How much do customers want them? How does the power
of your brands influence the deal?
🚀
Initiative
Who takes the initiative in the deal? Who sets the pace and the rules of the
game a. could you counter a 15-day meeting request with “can we meet in 7 days”?
🤝
Relationship history
How good is the relationship? Did past projects succeed? Have any threats
actually been executed? How much trust exists between the two parties?
🌐
Networks & Influence
Do you have a single point of contact within the other organization, or
multiple points of contact? How strong is your internal network and influence within the other
organization?
📝
Conditionality
Are the concessions clearly defined in the contract? Are they regularly tracked
with action plans? How have they been handled in the past?
🎓
Resources & Expertise
Who has more resources — financial, people, network — and how quickly can they
mobilize them? What capabilities, expertise, and know-how make up your competitive advantage in the deal?
🔗
Dependency
Is there an economic dependency at play? How much weight do you carry within
their portfolio? How much do they represent in yours?
Page 1 / 3
Step 3 — Balance of Power Analysis
Since we have the list
of factors ready, let's see which of the parties is stronger.
D. Drag the orange handle
on each slider. Party A is always shown on the left, Party B on the right.
