6 CHESTER L. KARRASS It can force a quick decision or permit a patient exploration of facts. The person who controls the agenda controls what will be said and, perhaps more important, what will not be said. Always try to negotiate an agenda before talks begin. It will help you keep the initiative. The following guidelines are pertinent: 1. Don’t accept the other person’s agenda without thinking through the consequences. 2. Consider where and how issues can best be introduced. 3. Schedule the discussion of issues to give yourself time to think. 4. Study your opponent's proposed agenda for what it deliberately leaves out. Be careful not to imply that your “must” demands are negotiable. You can show your resolve early by not permitting such items into the discussion. An agenda is a plan for discussion. It is not a contract. If either party doesn’t like the format after talks begin, they must have the courage to change it. Neither can afford to treat the matter lightly. AGREEMENTS, UNDERSTANDINGS, AND PROCEDURES: A BIG DIFFERENCE President George H.W. Bush found himself whipped about in dealing with the Iraqis before, during, and after Desert Storm, the Iraq war. Every time he thought he had an agreement, he was told it was only an understanding. www. karrass.com