Page 117 - DENG401_Advance Communication Skills

Advanced Communication Skills

Notes
more work (no point trying to cover it up or dismiss it as it will emerge as a fact eventually
and failure to be honest about it will probably lead to monumental problems in the
future), it is only in terms of saying that this is a necessary prerequisite for us all to reap
the benefits which you then enthusiastically describe, especially those which impact the
audience. In addition look out for other selling points - many organisations are so poorly
run that finding things to offer the audience is usually pretty easy; for example, in this case
you may well find promising to involve the clerks in the project so that they feel they are
co-owners as opposed to enforced participants will do wonders for morale and willingness
to take on the new system. Another possibility is for the new system to automate some of
the currently manually produced reports thus reducing the workload of the clerks - this
would be introduced as part of the opening seminar speech as a great innovation even if
the automation could be carried out within the current system.
Steer the audience from their point of view to yours. The same principles would be used
if you wished to attempt to persuade a liberal minded audience that life time incarceration,
with no chance of parole, should be introduced for say muggers. Stating that anyone
should be locked up for the rest of their life with no chance of proving that they have
reformed will naturally inflame a liberal audience, but this same audience would probably
agree with you that everything possible must be done to avoid innocent people being
mugged in the street. At this point you would have the audience on your side but you
would probably lose them very quickly if you stated that part of the solution is lifetime
incarceration for offenders. However, if you emphasised that the offenders needed help
and it was your intention to campaign to improve the rehabilitation programmes within
prison, coupled with a through review process to ensure that muggers had been rehabilitated
prior to release, you would still have the audience on your side. You may well be able to
get away with saying that there is a chance that some people are beyond reform and
therefore will have to stay in prison for ever - even the most liberal person would surely
baulk at releasing a mugger who is almost certain to be looking for a victim upon release;
you may well also get away with saying that resources are scarce, that there are many
other deserving causes and that, regrettably, rehabilitation services will of necessity not
be as widely available as is desirable or necessary.

5.4 Negotiating Effectively

Negotiation is a process of exchange – a give and take between two or more parties to resolve
conflict or problem solve, and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. The foundation of a
collaborative negotiation is that the relationship and the issue(s) are both important. Your goal
is to get your needs met and preserve a cordial working relationship. Negotiation is a form of
communication through which two or more people with different needs and goals try to identify
a mutually acceptable solution to a problem. Negotiation is common in business, government,
legal, and personal relationships. Some people are uncomfortable negotiating with others because
it confronts conflict. However, avoiding negotiation is not recommended because your career
and personal success is influenced by how well you can negotiate with other people. When you
go into a negotiation, take a personal inventory. How do you feel about negotiation? Do you
want to get it over fast? If so, you may give in too quickly, or give away too much. Or, do you
want to win, no matter what the cost? If so, you may become adversarial and damage the
relationship
Essential Elements
1. Claim the right to negotiate: In business, everything is negotiable. If you are not satisfied
with the stated terms of an agreement or policy, don’t be embarrassed to ask for something
more favorable. Don’t assume that a published price or offer is a take-it-or-leave-it

110 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY