Page 97 - DMGT519_Conflict Management and Negotiation Skills

Unit 4: Negotiation

Different Styles for Different Situations... Notes

There are different styles of negotiation, depending on circumstances. Where you do not expect
to deal with people ever again, and you do not need their goodwill, it may be appropriate to
play hardball. Here you may seek to win a negotiation, while the other person losing out. Many
people go through this when they buy or sell a house, which is why house buying can be such a
confrontational and unpleasant experience.
Similarly, where there is a great deal at stake in a negotiation (for example, in large sales
negotiations), then it may be appropriate to prepare in detail, and use gamesmanship to gain
advantage.
These approaches are usually wrong for resolving disputes within a team. If one person plays
hardball, then this puts the other person at a disadvantage. Similarly, using tricks and manipulation
during a negotiation can severely undermine trust, damaging subsequent teamwork. While a
manipulative person may not get caught if negotiation is infrequent, this is not the case when
people work together on a day-by-day basis. Honesty and openness are the best policies in
team-based negotiation.
Preparing for a successful negotiation

Depending on the scale of the disagreement, a level of preparation may be appropriate for
conducting a successful negotiation. For small disagreements, excessive preparation can be
counterproductive because it takes time that is better focused on reaching team goals. It can also
be seen as manipulative because just as it strengthens your position, it weakens the other
person’s.
If a major disagreement needs to be resolved, preparing thoroughly is warranted, and worthwhile.
Think through the following points before you start negotiating:

 Goals: What do you want to get out of the negotiation? What do you expect the other
person to want?

 Trading: What do you and the other person have that you can trade? What do you and the
other person have that the other might want? What might you each be prepared to give
away?

 Alternatives: If you don’t reach agreement with him or her, what alternatives do you
have? Are these good or bad alternatives? How much does it matter if you do not reach
agreement? Does failure to reach an agreement cut you out of future opportunities? What
alternatives might the other person have?

 The relationship: What is the history of the relationship? Could or should this history
impact the negotiation? Will there be any hidden issues that may influence the negotiation?
How will you handle these?

 Expected outcomes: What outcome will people be expecting from this negotiation? What
has the outcome been in the past, and what precedents have been set?
 The consequences: What are the consequences for you of winning or losing this negotiation?
What are the consequences for the other person?
 Power: Who has what power in the relationship? Who controls resources? Who stands to
lose the most if agreement isn’t reached? What power does the other person have to
deliver what you hope for?

 Possible solutions: Based on all of the considerations, what possible compromises might
there be?

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