BarnsleyDevelopment Brief Training
Negotiating Skills
Andrew Beard
Definition
“confer with others in order to reach a compromise or agreement”
p l a c e s & s p a c e s
Skills for successful negotiating• Awareness
– Understand background– Sensitive to needs of other side– Interpret body language
• Patience– Can take time to break down barriers
• Communication skills– Two way process– Good listener
p l a c e s & s p a c e s
Negotiating styles• Competitor
– Assertive, unyielding, uncooperative– Effective in strong bargaining position– Creates tension and mistrust– If faced by one, may be best not to agree
• Collaborator– Use time and energy to find common ground– Both assertive and cooperative– Good if need to maintain good relationship
p l a c e s & s p a c e s
Negotiating styles (cont.)
• Compromiser– Both assertive and cooperative– Willing to meet half way
• Pleaser– Nice people but give way too easily
• Avoider– Low in assertiveness and cooperativeness– Hope problem will go away
p l a c e s & s p a c e s
Negotiating styles
p l a c e s & s p a c e s
Ass
erti
ve
Cooperative
Competitor
Compromiser
Pleaser
Collaborator
Avoider
Negotiating process
1. Preparation2. Conducting negotiation3. Closing
p l a c e s & s p a c e s
Preparation
• Thorough knowledge of facts essential• Clarify your objectives• Identify areas for compromise• Clarify priorities
– Which priorities are ideal– Which represent a realist target– Which are minimum to still achieve a ‘win’
p l a c e s & s p a c e s
Preparation
• Identify variables: – Alternative options to
achieve agreement
• Best alternative– What if fail to agree?– Least favourable result
willing to accept
p l a c e s & s p a c e s
Conducting negotiations
• Negotiation medium: how will you negotiate?– Meeting, telephone, email
• Venue: where will negotiations take place?– Neutral territory can be helpful
• Negotiations: alone or part of team?– Agree attendance in advance– Team approach (good guy/ bad guy)– Careful briefing/ rehearsal
p l a c e s & s p a c e s
Conducting negotiations• Opening position
– Highest position that can be defended– Set climate for collaboration– Identify areas of agreement and dispute– Listen carefully to other side– Share information that supports your arguments
p l a c e s & s p a c e s
Conducting negotiations• Discussion
– Listen actively, probing and asking questions– Check understanding by summarising– Look for new variables– Offer concessions conditionally– Make other party feel respected– Defer deadlocked items and move on– Use adjournments– Be aware of dirty tricks!
p l a c e s & s p a c e s
Closing• Aim for ‘win-win’• Record what has been agreed in
writing• Obtain confirmation of agreement• Check no ambiguities or
uncertainties• Aim for win that preserves or
enhances relationship
p l a c e s & s p a c e s
Discussion: How can design quality be maintained during negotiations?
p l a c e s & s p a c e s
Top Related