Effective Negotiation: From Research to Results

Описание

An introduction to negotiation 3
Box 1.1: Advice to negotiators – an ‘up-front’ summary
Be pragmatic – negotiation is messy
Negotiation – like politics – is the art of the possible.
Remember – at ALL times – that negotiation is two-sided
Others can make choices too!
Be inquisitive and acquisitive
Always ask ‘why?’ and ‘what if?’ and ‘can we get a better outcome than this?’
Create a new script
Be confident managing the process but be prepared to improvise.
Treat others with respect
This is the only golden rule.
What is negotiation?
Starting with a definition may seem ‘academic’ but it highlights some key
points about negotiation that provide some preliminary but important
practical insights.
Negotiation is a process where two parties with differences which they need
to resolve are trying to reach agreement through exploring for options and
exchanging offers – and an agreement.
Firstly, negotiation is a process – a sequence of activities, perhaps with an
underlying pattern. It is not a single event – choices are made along the
way. It is not mechanical or deterministic – the choices negotiators make
affect how agreement is achieved and what the agreement will be. The
process of negotiation and how to manage it effectively will be explored
in Chapters 4 and 5.
Secondly, we need two parties for a negotiation. Having more than
two parties does not alter the fundamental duality of the process. Chapter
9 examines how a negotiation becomes more complex when constituencies or other parties have an interest in the outcome of the negotiation
and Chapter 10 considers the impact of cultural differences.
Thirdly there must be differences. If there are no differences there is no
need to negotiate and because there are differences, we can expect some
conflict and competition. The task of unravelling differences is examined
in Chapter 6.
The parties must need to resolve their differences. It is this need that
generates cooperation between the parties. The need to settle their differences also helps negotiators understand their power; this important aspect
of negotiation is explored in the next chapter.

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