Negotiation is not a "bad word" and one of the finest arts there is. I used to teach it, and had a great time doing so. While I agree with the "keep your friends close and your enemies closer, " there's always wariness because enemies carry daggers...

The most difficult, if not impossible, task is to negotiate in a fishbowl. Audiences are the greatest inhibitors to successful negotiations. So, the public position is rarely the private one. It's kinda like the old saying credited to Otto Von Bismarck - Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made. Better to appreciate the result than criticize the creative process!