Negotiations are underway to secure an agreement with a critical supplier for the project.

When entering contentious negotiations, it's critical to understand and prioritize what objectives are most important and which areas have flexibility. Collaborating with stakeholders to develop ranked priorities helps the project manager negotiate effectively and make trade-offs without compromising essential outcomes.

This aligns with PMI's guidance on effective procurement and stakeholder engagement—where strategic preparation improves outcomes.

Option B is counterproductive to collaboration.

Option C is useful, but without stakeholder input, the objectives may be misaligned.

Option D is reactive and risky without stakeholder agreement.