There never was a truer maxim than: ‘If you don’t ask, you don’t get.’ But just because somebody asks for something, it doesn’t mean it has to be given. If it’s reasonable and settles things without too much aggravation, monetary sacrifice (if relevant) or bad feeling, fine. But if both parties are dissatisfied then the equation is not right. Remember — it’s a game with two winners.
If one half of the negotiating equation is not happy, then the whole situation is also unsatisfactory. In any relationship, whether it be personal or workplace-related, if only one of the parties wins then the relationship loses. The aim is to satisfy the needs of both sides of the relationship to secure a win-win situation.
James Borg – Persuasion