The basis of all agreements is shared goals, or what Sun Tzu called "tao," the way. A shared mission is what holds organizations together. Diplomacy is the art of finding shared goals by avoiding conflict. It assumes that a negotiated agreement can be better for both parties than the best alternative to a negotiated agreement (called the BATNA in negotiation talk. Negotiations can often work because, as Sun Tzu taught, conflict is inherently costly to both parties, even the winner. If there is no shared advantage to an agreement and no fear of the costs of conflict, agreements are impossible.