Moving Negotiation
Build agreement through flexible, small-group diplomacy
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 97%
Moving Negotiation replaces dependence on a single plenary meeting with a flexible network of individual, bilateral, and small-group conversations. The mediator first maps the parties, then moves between their offices and selectively assembles combinations that can discuss specific obstacles. Information and possible compromises travel through the mediator even when walkouts, exclusions, or mistrust make a complete gathering impossible. Over time, overlapping agreements create enough common ground for a broader settlement. The mechanism is persistence through adaptable participation: the process continues despite an empty chair because no single meeting format is allowed to become a prerequisite for progress. The final agreement must still be accepted and owned by the conflicting parties themselves.
Origin
George Mitchell used this approach while chairing negotiations among ten Northern Irish political parties and two governments. Because all twelve parties never attended simultaneously, he moved among their offices and assembled changing combinations throughout the peace process.
Core principles
- 01Progress does not require every party in the same room
- 02Long-standing mistrust demands flexible meeting formats
- 03Private and small-group discussions can prepare the ground for agreement
- 04Participants must own the risks and compromises of the final settlement
How to run it
- 1
Map the negotiating system
Identify every party, its representatives, core interests, red lines, and relationships with other participants.
Pro tip Distinguish public positions from interests that may be discussed privately.
Watch out Do not assume formal status indicates actual influence.
- 2
Keep every channel open
Establish a workable communication route with each party, even when it refuses to attend joint sessions.
Pro tip Use private meetings to understand what prevents participation.
Watch out Private access must not become perceived favoritism.
- 3
Move between parties
Visit participants individually and carry questions, concerns, and possible compromises across the negotiating system.
Pro tip Report each party's position accurately without adopting it.
Watch out Never disclose confidential concessions without permission.
- 4
Assemble useful combinations
Bring together two or more parties when their participation can resolve a specific issue or test an emerging proposal.
Pro tip Choose the smallest group capable of making progress on the issue.
Watch out Do not present a small-group agreement as final before excluded parties review it.
- 5
Consolidate overlapping agreement
Identify recurring areas of consent and translate them into language that can survive wider scrutiny.
Pro tip Separate settled points from unresolved points so one dispute does not erase prior progress.
Watch out Prematurely announcing consensus can harden opposition.
- 6
Return ownership to the parties
Bring the emerging settlement to the participants for their own political and personal decision.
Pro tip Acknowledge openly the risks leaders take by compromising.
Watch out A mediator-imposed settlement may collapse after the mediator leaves.
In the wild
Mitchell chaired talks involving ten political parties and two governments, yet never succeeded in gathering all twelve simultaneously. He maintained progress by visiting offices, meeting parties one at a time, and convening changing groups of two, six, or nearly all participants until the parties accepted an agreement.
→ The agreement helped bring a durable end to most of the violence despite continuing political division.
In a plausible application, a mediator facing two hostile departments and an absent executive first interviews each faction separately, then convenes small cross-functional groups around staffing, systems, and customer commitments before presenting a consolidated transition plan.
→ The organization can build a workable agreement without requiring an initially impossible all-hands negotiation.
Common mistakes
Waiting for perfect attendance
Making a full-room meeting the condition for progress gives any absent or obstructive party an effective veto over the process.
Treating shuttle diplomacy as message delivery
The mediator must uncover interests and test compromises, not merely repeat inflexible positions between rooms.
Taking ownership of the settlement
A mediator can structure the process, but the parties must accept the risks and own the agreement.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for mediators handling complex disputes involving numerous factions with fragile relationships.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal when a binding decision must be made immediately or parties refuse all communication.
From the transcript
“As a result of which I did a lot of what I would call moving negotiation.”
“I would go to their offices individually and see them one group at a time.”
“I would have meetings with two of them or six of them.”
From the episode
George Mitchell Discusses the Mechanisms of American Politics
George Mitchell