Negotiation Process

Generic Negotiation approach:

Approach:

For the basic first steps I will follow in any situation, are borrowed from the article 'Successful Negotiating' by Julia Tipler, with some revisions made on my part for simplicity.

In any negotiation it is important to know:

Who is involved?

This means in terms of whom are you negotiating with, whom do they represent? What are their respective interests? What kind of power do they have outside of this negotiation? What cultural values might affect the negotiation?

(Basically, know your opponent)

Who am I?

What is my role in the negotiation? Who do I represent? What are my wants/limits/demands?

What is being negotiated?

Is it a fixed resource? Are there any other suppliers/customers? How much control do I have over the resource? How much control does any other party have over the resource?

What long-term implications might arise?

Is this a one-time negotiation? How well do I know the person? If this goes well/poorly, how will it affect me in a year? Or 5 years? Will it affect my reputation?

Next I will need to focus on the negotiation itself, as all negotiations involve tailoring depending on the answers to the questions above.

Ideally, all negotiations in my opinion should be collaborative. In brief, what reading 1.10 outlined were 4 basic steps to a successful collaborative agreement:

i. Identify the problem

ii. Understand the problem

iii. Generate Alternative Solutions (prior to a negotiation have a BATNA)

- Re-define the Problem

- Generate a list of Solutions

- Prioritize options & reduce the list

iv. Select a solution

Why it is a good approach:

By taking this approach of first finding out who I am dealing with, then identifying the problem, I will be able to approach any negotiation with confidence. Confidence that is derived from a legitimate sense of power will ensure control of any situation. I learned this in chapter 5 from my 'developing management skills' textbook by Kim Cameron.

How I will act:

How you approach a negotiation is critical to the success,