Adel works for a major airplane manufacturer in the Midwest. He must travel to Washington, D.C. to negotiate revisions to a contract with the U.S. military. The key issues presented are cost overruns due to complex engineering changes. He has two weeks to prepare for the meetings, which will run over a period of three days in Washington. His department is currently spread pretty thin working on several projects simultaneously. Adel’s staff is a fairly homogeneous group, most with engineering backgrounds. His two senior people typically disagree on everything.
1. What factors should Adel consider in deciding whether or not to use a team for the negotiation?
2. What additional information would you desire before making your final decision on whether to take a team to Washington?
3. How should Adel decide whom to take to the negotiation?