1) Marginalize extreme positions. Take out the people that don't care about sound and solid methods, or realistic expectations, but sit there and make demands with no clear foundation, or some emotional basis that no longer applies. Also take out the people that, instead of helping develop sound, solid methods, keep insinuating there is no sound, solid method for achieving anything, and just sit there, postulating on the negatives.

2) Develop a consensus on what the share of revenue needs to be, considering the fact that Delta is running out of places to hide money (extra retirement funding, extra debt repayments, superfluous stock buy-backs, dividends, shifting margin targets from 8-10%, now to 15%, etc.), for the Delta pilots, considering our sacrifices, and our ongoing contributions. Divorce all such calculations from a) some over-romanticized past contract at a company that actually no longer exists, and b) from all the fearful, tearful arguments that anything we ask for is too much. Make a credible, sound argument for a reasonable number that will allow the company to make respectable margins, while we bring home the share of the bacon our family deserves. This share may be more, less, or the same that some contract or other, but the point is that we benchmark against what is rightfully ours, without failing to also reward other constituencies in a balanced manner.

3) Hold out for the number in 2, above, and negotiate.

4) Determine through surveys how the pilot group wants the number in 2, above, to be distributed.

5) Continue to hold out for the number in 2, above.

6) Change strategies and tactics as needed, until we achieve the number in 2, above.

7) Once we attain the number in 2, above (not the moon and the stars, not a pitiful fear-induced number), ratify a TA, and move forward.