James Sebenius, in his Harvard Business Review article: Six Habits of Merely Effective Negotiators, identifies six mistakes that negotiators make that keep them from solving the right problem. Identify which mistake is being described. The negotiation team fully understands their own interests and no-deal options, but has not considered their counterpart’s problem.a. Failing to Correct for Skewed Vision. b. Searching Too Hard for Common Ground. c. Neglecting the Other Side’s Problems. d. Letting Positions Drive Out Interests.

To be an effective negotiator one must understand what his interest is and what he can compromise and the limits to what can be given to the other party (that is no-deal options).

It is even more important to understand the other parties problem. This can be used to guage their interest and how it can be met.

Not considering the counterparty problem is a mistake the negotiating team have made. If the other partie's problem is not understood then there won't be an effective way of negotiating.