There is nothing so likely to produce peace as to be well prepared to meet the enemy.

Being ready for a fight is often what prevents one. When you are able to handle a confrontation, fewer people choose to start it with you, and the ones who do come better behaved. This is as true in a negotiation or a difficult meeting as anywhere else: the person who has done the work, knows the numbers and is willing to walk away rarely has to.

Before the conversation you have been dreading, do the preparation you were hoping to avoid. Know your figures, your limits and what you will do if it goes badly. You will probably not need any of it, and that is the point.