Negotiation Paper, Essay Example

Negotiation is an important part of life. Understanding it and the many faucets associated with it is important. This paper will address the various areas that are important for being a successful negotiator. Prior to this course, negotiation was simply something seen on television in a hostage situation. There was no real understanding how many things in life negotiation is necessary for. Seeing the many areas that aid with negotiation will provide the groundwork for me to be a successful negotiator in the future.

Negotiation is a necessary means for handling conflict in many areas of life. The dual concern model is a means for handling negotiation. This model assumes that both parties involved prefer to handle the conflict based on two primary dimensions: empathy and assertiveness. Empathy is the part that focuses on the fact that one is concerned with the interest and needs of a specific party. Assertiveness deals with addressing individual interests or needs. They both work hand-in-hand with each other. Both parties typically have their own interest in mind with a select amount of concern for the other parties needs.

In negotiation, it is important to determine if distributive or integrative negation is more appropriate. In distributive bargaining, the negotiator tries to secure the most benefit for themselves, with no concern for the other party. “Integrative bargaining is a negotiation strategy in which all parties collaborate to find a “win-win” solution to their dispute so that all parties achieve maximum mutual gains.” (Nabar 2010) Obviously there are many factors that can affect with type of negotiation is being used. It is dependent on if the parties are out for their own personal benefit or for both parties to gain.

When developing an opening offer it is important to consider two questions: “who should make the first offer, and how will making or not making the first offer affect the negotiation process and the result?” (Venter 2012) Negotiation can be a long drawn out process, especially if one party is not willing to give at all. Knowing exactly what is being offer will allow counter offers to be presented. Without an initial offer, there is no real starting point for the negotiation process.

Another important part of negotiation is establishing target and resistance points. Knowing the other parties goals will aid in knowing their limits. “The negotiator can pursue two general routes to achieve this task: obtain information indirectly about the background factors behind an issue (indirect assessment) or obtain information directly from the other party about their target and resistance points (direct assessment).” (Lewicki, Barry; & Saunders 2010) One route is doing research behind the persons back, and one route is asking the party directly.

There are many lessons to learn for planning a negotiation. Researching the other party’s interest is a vital part of negotiation. By knowing what their ultimate end desires are, it is easier to motivate them in the way you want. BANTA is the best alternative to a negotiated agreement. Setting the minimum expectations that you are willing to walk away with will set a ground level for any negotiation. It will keep you from settling for less than what you intended to. This will also guide the negotiator for when it is best to walk away.

Strategizing for negotiation is as important as the actual negotiation. Logrolling is a means of strategizing. This is an exchange, a trade off of issues to maximize the value of the negotiation. Another strategy is to make a range of requests, some important and some less important to create leverage for the negotiation. This is the way for the negotiator to exchange the lesser important items, for those of higher importance. It is also important to consider the psychology of negotiations. This is perception, emotion, and body language to name a few. “For the negotiator it is worth studying all aspects of human behavior and motivation because in any complex negotiation it is necessary to understand the person or organization with whom we are dealing.” (Palmer 2006)

There are important lessons learned on negotiation in information exchange, manageable versus unmanageable questions and communication break-down. What is being said and what is being perceived are often two different things. The exchange of manageable questions is ones that can be answered or negotiated. Unmanageable ones are open ended with no potential for answers or resolutions. Communication breakdowns occur when one party fails to respond in a manner that the other party can understand.

Power is important in negotiation. This can influence the outcome both negatively and positively. Some of the measure of power is based on position. Who they are along with the power associated with them and the negotiation at hand. Ethics are an important part of negotiation. The negotiator needs to act with honesty and integrity. Reputation, trust, and justice are all essential for the desired results in all negotiations.

There are also cultural and international differences in negotiation. By educating yourself in this area, it gives the negotiator an advantage. This includes values, beliefs, and even language. Reaching the other party in a way that they are familiar will create a better ground for the negotiation.

Seeing the many areas that aid with negotiation will provide the groundwork for me to be a successful negotiator in the future. It is important to go into any situation that requires negotiation armed with the tools learned in this class. Personally I will educate myself and prepare before I even start the process. I would have never negotiated prior to this class; well I would have never gotten very far. Now I am confident the end result will be exactly what I set out to negotiate.

References:

Venter, Dr. DP. (2012). Negotiation Open Offering. Retrieved from http://www.negotiationtraining.com.au/articles/new-agreement/

Lewicki, Roy J.; Bruce Barry; & David M. Saunders. (2010) Negotiation. Mcgraw-hill Press.

Palmer, Andrew. (2006) Psychology and Negotiation. Retrieved from http://www.negotiation.biz/psychology.htm

Nabar, Arun. (2010) Strategies and Tactic of Integrative Bargaining. Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/45939723/Negotiation-Skills-Group-10-Integrative-Bargaining