NEGOTIATION BEHAVIORS

WHAT IS NEGOTIATION?

Negotiation is a process whereby people attempt to

resolve their differences.

People who negotiate in other parts of the worlddon’t necessarilly share your understanding ofnegotiation.

People in some cultures view negotiation as a series of offers and counteroffers in which one partyis won and the other is lost. (win-lose view)

In other cultures, people see it as an effort by theparties to work together to solve a problem.

There are cultures in which the basic purpose of negotiation is to establish and strengthenrelationships leading intoa spirit of mutualcooperation.

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NEGOTIATION BEHAVIORS

Basically, there are five negotiating

styles or behaviors (tactics):

- Attacking

- Evading

- Informing

- Opening

- Uniting

ATTACKING

Attacking involves any type of behavior which will

be perceived by the other side as hostile or

unfriendly.

It includes criticizing, insulting, blaming and

threatening the person or the group whom you

negotiate.

It can include using hostile

tones of voice, facial expressions,

gestures, interrupting, discount-

ing the other’s idea, stereotyping

and patronizing.

This behavior is usually directed

at the person, not the problem

under discussion and is unfair.

ATTACKING

Attacking behavior almost always elicits an attack

or defend response from the other side.

It needs to be used very cautiously because the

Attack-Defend spiral can be really hard to break.

If one party attacks another, the likely response will

be a counterattack unless the other negoatioter has

good control and understands the usefullness of

changing the climate to one of collaboration.

Tip: not advisable to use this tactic. If you faced

with this tactic do not strike back. Focus on the

issues at stake. Use compliments upfront to disarm

the other side.

EVADING

Evading during a negotiation occurs when people on

one side (or both) temporarily avoids dealing with the

issue being discussed.

Evasions can be friendly and hostile depending on how

they are experienced by the other side.

On the other hand, if a party

requests that an issue be

tabled or asks for a caucus

(private meeting) while

indicating their interes in

continuing with the negotia-

tions, the other party is not

so likely to become alienated.

EVADING

Sometimes a negotiation between parties may

involve several issues that need to be resolved, one

of which is a major disagreement. It may be best to

table the major issue while trying to resolve the

smaller ones.

If the smaller ones can be dealt successfully, the

resulting spirit of cooperation might lead to a more

productive negotiation when the two groups finally

begin talking about the major issue. This is a

positive form of evading behavior.

INFORMING

Informing basically means that your side, directly or

indirectly, explains its perspective to the people on

the other side.

It is an essential ingredient. Both side must provide

information to each other if a genuine negotiation is

to take place.

INFORMING

One can inform about their positions, needs, values

and feelings.

Information given about their needs, feelings or

values are usually not negotiable. It is unwise to

persuade someone to not feel what they feel.

What is negotiable are positions.

STRATEGY AND INFORMING

There are two different strategic approaches you

can take in Infroming, each determining the type of

information you will provide to the other side.

STRATEGY AND INFORMING

1. If you are negotiating competively, you will state

your position rigidly and provide a variety of facts

and figures or legal justifications buttressing your

position. Real needs and feelings are typically held

„close to the chest”.

2. If you are negotiating collaboratively, you will

again start with your position, but state it flexibly.

Then you will reveal the needs and interest which

have caused you to take that position. The revealed

information will determine the outcome.

OPENING

Opening behavior is, in essence, the reverse of

informing behavior. When informing, you are telling

the other side where you are coming from, when

opening, you are finding out where they are coming

from.

OPENING

Opening behavior includes any kind of

communication behavior which will „open up the

other side”:

- asking questions about the other’s

needs, positions, feelings and values

- listening carefully what’s the other

side is saying, and

- testing one’s understanding by

summarizing what is being said

without necessarilly agreeing with it.

OPENING

Opening behavior probably the most powerful and

the most difficult behavior. (The most effective

negotiators are using this behavior far more than

ineffective negotiators.)

2 reasons why:

- opening behavior reduces hostility

e.g. in tense negotiations the best way is to

open instead of attacking

- opening behavior helps you identify

the other’s needs so you can link them

with the appropriate bargaining chips

UNITING

There are basically four distinct types of uniting:

a, building rapport

b, highlighting common ground

c, reframing the issue once the priority needs

of both sides have been determined

d, linking bargaining chips as satisfiers for

needs

SOURCES:

Ebacs

Hms.Harvard

Aamc.org

THANK YOU

FOR YOUR

ATTENTION!

Lilla Pohn