As a project manager, your skills must cross over many different areas. One of those areas is the art of negotiating. Learning to negotiate well takes some practice and patience, but it's well worth the time because, when carried out correctly, powerful negotiations can create positive relationships you can build on and enjoy for years to come.

There are three items which are negotiable in every project:

Scope: What must be accomplished by the project, how much must be accomplished by the project, what level of quality must be built into the end result?

Resources: What is the budget? What tools are available? What people are available?

Time: When must the project be completed and the results achieved?

In almost every project, it may seem that the scope and due date are set in stone, while the resources are not available. In the early stages of a project, getting clear on the exact mix of these three variables is the key responsibility of the project manager.

Your objective for the solution analysis work is to a) find the 'best' viable solution for the company, and b) demonstrate you performed an excellent, logical analysis of all reasonable options before you landed on this 'best' one you will recommend.

To get clear on the 'best' mix of negotiable items, conduct a series of strategic solution brainstorming sessions with key members of your team. Your role is to facilitate and guide the meetings; your subject matter and analytical expert attendees will provide the core content and ideas.

As a team, do your utmost to find a solution that delivers the requested scope, by the targeted due date, using only proposed resources. If sincere, creative efforts to find a viable solution within all 3 parameters have failed, then move forward and create a viable solution that keeps your targeted due date and scope as given, but adds resources as needed. Once you have that solution, create one to two other alternative solutions.

Document your key findings, facts and assumptions as you go along; you will need these notes to help others understand the conclusions reached by you and your team. This information will become part of your Alternatives Analysis Briefing, some integrated into the main body, some included as Appendix items.

Prepare an Alternatives Analysis Briefing for your Sponsor, demonstrating the various 'what / if' scenarios and the pros and cons of each, with a recommendation. Typically, there will be 3-4 reasonable options e.g. lower the scope to meet a due date; add resources to achieve scope and time, or extend the due date to meet the scope within budget.

A powerful additional option would be to assess the costs, pros, and cons of NOT doing, or continuing, the project at all. The more painful it looks to keep things as they are, the easier it will be to 'sell' your recommended option.

Once you have completed your solutions analysis work and have prepared your Alternatives Briefing, read your briefing out loud to yourself and selected key team leads, testing the clarity of your points and the logical flow of information. Aim to be simple, clear and concise. Include meaningful graphics to add visual interest and make key points easier to grasp.

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