When ‘Halfway Yes’ Is a Win: The Power of Partial Agreements

In our previous post, we talked about how focusing on interests instead of positions can lead to better agreement. Another powerful idea from Getting to Yes is that even when a full agreement seems impossible, a weaker form of agreement is often still achievable and worthwhile.

Instead of treating negotiations as “all or nothing,” this approach looks for smaller, more flexible commitments. These partial wins move both sides forward.

What does a strong agreement look like? It’s typically substantive, permanent, comprehensive, final, unconditional, binding, and first order. These are the deals everyone hopes for—everything decided, locked in, and resolved in one shot. A weaker agreement, by contrast, might be procedural, provisional, partial, “in principle,” contingent, nonbinding, or second order. It doesn’t solve everything. But it creates structure, reduces uncertainty, and keeps the relationship—and the conversation—alive.

Here are a few practical examples:

If a substantive agreement cannot be reached, both sides might still agree on a procedure. They can decide how they will collect more information, who will be consulted, or when they will meet next.

If a permanent solution is out of reach, they might adopt a temporary arrangement to test what works in practice.

If a comprehensive deal proves too ambitious, they can settle on a partial agreement. This covers the areas where consensus already exists, while parking harder issues for later.

In investing, business, and personal life, this mindset is extremely useful. A partial agreement is still progress. It compounds trust, data, and options over time. Accepting weaker agreements when needed ensures momentum, avoids deadlocks, and often lays the groundwork for stronger, more durable deals in the future.