---
id: "action-draft-business-plan-mandates"
type: "action-item"
source_timestamps: ["§ Don't Give Negotiators Decision Authority"]
tags: ["preparation", "process-improvement"]
related: ["concept-business-plan-mandate", "framework-negotiator-mandate", "prereq-batna"]
action: "Require negotiators to draft mandates mapping priorities and hypotheses rather than requesting preapproved concession limits."
outcome: "Negotiators enter talks knowing exactly what problems they are solving and how proposed outcomes compare to realistic alternatives."
speakers: ["Danny Ertel"]
sources: ["ecosystem"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-ecosystem"
originDay: 11
articleStem: "hbr-nm-103-big-companies-negotiate-deals"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/01/why-big-companies-struggle-to-negotiate-great-deals"
sourceTitle: "Why Big Companies Struggle to Negotiate Great Deals"
---
# Implement Business Plan Mandates

**Action:** Require commercial negotiators to draft their **own mandates** using a standard template before entering talks. The template must map organizational priorities, identify walkaway alternatives ([[prereq-batna|BATNA]]), develop hypotheses to test, and sketch exploratory options — entirely *replacing* traditional requests for minimum concession limits.

**Expected outcome:** Negotiators enter talks knowing exactly what problems they are solving and how proposed outcomes compare to realistic alternatives.

This is the rollout of [[concept-business-plan-mandate]]; the four-part template is specified in [[framework-negotiator-mandate]]. It is the natural complement to [[action-strip-commitment-authority]].