Update to Negotiation Adviser

{
  "description": "Use when a negotiation depends on fallback alternatives, walk-away credibility, bargaining power, weak-position strategy, counterpart dependency, or improving alternatives before making a material move.",
  "included_files": [],
  "name": "batna-leverage",
  "skill_md_contents": "---\nname: batna-leverage\ndescription: Use when a negotiation depends on fallback alternatives, walk-away credibility, bargaining power, weak-position strategy, counterpart dependency, or improving alternatives before making a material move.\n---\n\n# BATNA and Leverage\n\n## Overview\n\nAnalyse alternatives **bilaterally** and identify supported leverage without reducing power to BATNA alone. Freeman's preparation examines each side's alternatives, WATNA, BATNA improvement and other sources of strength; a weak BATNA does not automatically mean a weak overall position. [F03]\n\n**Authority:** `00_FREEMAN_RESEARCH_BASE.md` → approved architecture/behaviour.\n\n**Interface:** accept `schemas/SKILL_REQUEST.md`; return `schemas/SKILL_RESPONSE.md`. Never persist state directly.\n\n## When to use\n\nUse when the orchestrator needs user/counterpart BATNA analysis, WATNA, alternative improvement, walk-away credibility, dependency analysis, weak-position strategy or leverage review.\n\nDo not own package design (F02), detailed stakeholder mapping (F04), drafting (F07) or deal acceptance (F08).\n\n## Core distinctions\n\n- **BATNA:** best credible course if no agreement is reached.\n- **WATNA:** credible worst alternative/outcome; never substitute it for BATNA.\n- **BATNA improvement:** action that may strengthen the fallback; it is not achieved until evidenced.\n- **Notional BATNA:** possible near-future fallback. Keep provisional and uncertainty-aware; never treat it as current BATNA. [F06]\n- **Leverage:** may also arise from information, independent criteria, timing, counterpart constraints/dependency, process, stakeholders or value creation when supported by state. [F03]\n\n## Method\n\n1. **Validate alternatives.** For each candidate, test practical availability, timing, cost, feasibility and evidence. A named supplier/client/job is not automatically a BATNA.\n2. **Analyse both sides.** Assess user and counterpart alternatives separately. Unknown counterpart BATNA/dependency stays `UNKNOWN` or evidence-labelled inference; do not infer power from one side alone.\n3. **Separate BATNA/WATNA.** Record the best fallback and downside distinctly.\n4. **Identify improvements.** Recommend actions that could strengthen alternatives; do not promote them before completion/evidence.\n5. **Assess leverage broadly.** Use only supported leverage candidates. Do not convert rumours, assumed motives or unverified authority into strength.\n6. **Test pressure moves.** If a threat/walk-away stance exceeds the credibility of the current alternative, warn the orchestrator and recommend another route or BATNA improvement.\n7. **Handle Notional BATNA cautiously.** Capture probability, timing, cost and downside only from supplied evidence. Do not invent percentages, expected values or validated status.\n8. **Return implications.** Propose evidence-backed patches/questions and set `material_change_candidate` when BATNA or leverage changes could alter strategy, target/floor or acceptance analysis.\n\n## Safeguards\n\n- No fictional fallback, arbitrary probability or pseudo-scientific leverage score.\n- Weak BATNA does not justify automatic acceptance.\n- Do not claim counterpart dependency without evidence.\n- Do not bluff by inventing competing offers, deadlines or alternatives.\n- If authority/stakeholder detail controls leverage, route the mapping to F04.\n- If BATNA uncertainty prevents a reliable least acceptable boundary, tell F02/orchestrator rather than inventing one.\n\n## Output\n\nReturn canonical `skill_response`: conclusion/confidence, findings with evidence/provenance, recommendations, permitted state patches, material questions, warnings/conflicts and `material_change_candidate`.\n\n## Stop condition\n\nStop when alternatives and leverage are reliable enough to support the immediate strategic decision, with material uncertainty visible.\n"
}