Art of Negotiation, Essay Example

Negotiations of a contract to gain consensus between parties is ultimately the clarification and agreement on what is going to be provided regarding the requirements and what will be exchanged for meeting those requirements prior to the actual efforts taking place.  The process to arrive at the desired end state is a balance of the art of negotiation and science of managing psychological and behavioral activities to manage and control the negotiation and communication.  The art of negotiation involves understanding how to create the behavioral and psychological reactions and interactions of the parties involved and to establish the bond or relationship between the parties of the negotiation.  In regard to the science or tactical side of the negotiation, it is imperative to understand the tools available to the negotiator as well as the knowledge and understanding of what negotiations actually involve.

There are two types of negotiations, the integrative and distributive.  The distributive negotiation sees negotiation as dividing a fixed amount of items and is by definition finite.  This is representative of haggling for the best price or the best offer.  This is a tug-of-war between the buyer and the seller in which only a certain amount of ground can be gained or lost.  The distributive negotiation is more about keeping key information secret and not allowing any leverage to the other negotiation party.  Integrative negotiations are based on cooperation collaboration for a mutually beneficial objective.  These types of negotiations provide a win-win scenario which is normally used in trouble-shooting, problem solving or finding a resolution to a complex issue with multiple facets.  Distributive negotiations would be used when buying a vehicle or purchasing a house whereas integrative negotiations would be used when selling land to a new corporation that will bring new business opportunities to a community.

Understanding the two sides of negotiation will allow the negotiator to focus on the interactions between themselves and the other parties.  It is important for the negotiator to fully understand the requirements of the negotiation as well as they process required to achieve the requirements.  By understanding the process and ensuring a level of preparedness prior to negotiation the negotiator can focus on those behaviors that can provide a benefit or advantage in the negotiation.  There are certain triggers and reactions that a negotiator can focus on to place the other party at ease and build a bond between each side.  The negotiator must build a relationship while also watching for the pitfalls or roadblocks that could obstruct the pursuit of the desired end state.  These roadblocks include but are not limited to situations such as unsolicited criticism, whether good or mal-intentioned, and potential diversification issues that could lead to barriers in communication, understanding or acceptance of the proposed negotiations.  The negotiator must understand with whom they are communicating with, how their communication is interpreted and if it is received as intended.  Communication is key to negotiations.

Understanding the two sides of negotiation will allow the negotiator to focus on the interactions between themselves and the other parties.  It is important for the negotiator to fully understand the requirements of the negotiation as well as they process required to achieve the requirements.  By understanding the process and ensuring a level of preparedness prior to negotiation the negotiator can focus on those behaviors that can provide a benefit or advantage in the negotiation.  There are certain triggers and reactions that a negotiator can focus on to place the other party at ease and build a bond between each side.  The negotiator must build a relationship while also watching for the pitfalls or roadblocks that could obstruct the pursuit of the desired end state.  These roadblocks include but are not limited to situations such as unsolicited criticism, whether good or mal-intentioned, and potential diversification issues that could lead to barriers in communication, understanding or acceptance of the proposed negotiations.  The negotiator must understand with whom they are communicating with, how their communication is interpreted and if it is received as intended.  Communication is key to negotiations.

The appropriate communication method is not only a vessel to provide key information but it is also a basis for tactical operations within the negotiation as well as the tool to effectively and efficiently close the negotiation with a beneficial outcome.  Each person receives and perceives communication in different ways.  A message could be misinterpreted through subtle changes in the way the message is received.  The message can be altered in multiple ways.  This includes both verbal and non-verbal cues.  These communicative aspects of the negotiation are tools that can promote the success of the negotiation or derail the intentions.  Tailoring messages to specific parties becomes easier with experience and increased involvement with the parties in the negotiation.  These interactions create the psychological and behavioral bonds needed to achieve an on-going and strategically mutual relationship.  Building the relationships between each party also provides the ability for the negotiation teams to bridge the gaps between distance and culture.  As more communication occurs, the better the teams begin to know and understand one another.  Through this collaboration the bond that is built also facilitates the negotiation (Goldman & Shapiro, 2012).