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Blog post format
Objective: To increase self-awareness of yourself as a negotiator.
Instructions: For this blog post, interview someone who knows you well about your negotiation style. You may wish to select a co-worker, family member or friend. Choose someone you trust and be prepared to be open to the information you learn. Even if you have not negotiated with this person, they can help you understand your approach to negotiations. Use the following questions as a guideline for your conversation:
• When we are making decisions, what is your experience in our conversations?
• What do you appreciate most about our conversations together?
• What is one thing I could work on when it comes to effective speaking and listening?
Marking Rubric – Requirements: Requirement Marks Post Blog 1 Conducting your conversation 8 What is one thing you could work on when it comes to effective speaking and listening? 1 TOTAL 10 Mark
Reference info:
Negotiators tend to negotiate from one of the five styles noted above. These are adapted from Thomas Kilmann’s conflict styles and tend to correlate well in negotiation, especially given that there is sometimes tension when two or more parties are trying to meet their differing or conflicting needs. (Meeker Green, 2016) Figure 2 (Negotiation Styles, 2019) 1. Strengths and Weaknesses What does it take to be a good negotiator? What makes the difference between good negotiators and great ones? How can you maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses? Good negotiators are: Flexible Negotiation involves movement. If a negotiator is able to embrace movement and flexibility, they will be successful at negotiating. Goal and Strategy Oriented Good negotiators always know the desired outcome, understand the difference between their “must haves” and “nice to haves,” and never lose sight of these goals during negotiations. Time‐Oriented Good negotiators set time limits and schedules necessary for success. They realize that negotiations cannot go on forever and that issues must be resolved within a reasonable time frame. 13 Objective, Reasonable and Fact‐Based Good negotiators want facts, and lots of them, instead of looking at the issues from a subjective point of view. They appreciate that there is information they do not have and remain rational in discussions and responses. They do not put forward extreme, unreasonable positions. Empowered Negotiations don’t go far when the person negotiating doesn’t have the authority to make the decisions and commitments necessary to move forward. Great negotiators have strengths in several areas. They are aware of their weaknesses and have developed strategies to minimize the effects of their negative traits. They ask numerous ‘why’ questions: “Why do you want that?” “Why is that important to you?” d) BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) Negotiating at various times during your career shows you one thing –starting positions and bargaining points are different in every situation. Sometimes you have many alternatives within a competitive marketplace. At other times you may be single sourcing and dependent on a specific supplier for the goods or service required. BATNA is an acronym that stands for Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement. It is defined as the most advantageous alternative that a negotiating party can take if negotiations fail and an agreement. (BATNA, N.D.) In other words, a party’s BATNA is what a party’s alternative is if negotiations are unsuccessful. The term BATNA was originally used by Roger Fisher and William Ury in their 1981 book entitled “Getting to Yes: Negotiating Without Giving In.” (Guhan Subramanian, 2020) The BATNA can be driven by greater organizational supply chain decisions and strategy. It is critical that you understand, prior to starting negotiations, what will happen if you are unable to reach an agreement with the supplier. This helps you to keep things in perspective, as well as ensuring that you do not end up in a negotiated agreement when you would be better off walking away. The BATNA is not concerned with the specifics of the negotiation; it is a separate analysis that focuses on the outcome if an agreement is not reached. Think of it as good, solid insurance. In simple terms, if the proposed agreement is better than your BATNA, you agree. If it is not, you do not agree. 14 Successful BATNAs are real, valued and actionable. Understanding your BATNA requires research and fact gathering to show you what your options look like and their value and cost. Without this careful analysis, you risk defining a BATNA that either is not realistic or is less valuable than you thought. In order to develop your BATNA you should: • brainstorm the list of all conceivable options • select some for further investigation into their practicality • select the one option that seems the best Sometimes developing the BATNA is relatively straightforward. Other times you discover that there are many variables to take into account for your BATNA. Some variables can be difficult to measure; for example, the success of future agreements with the supplier or the risks of regulatory involvement. Remember that negotiations are not a one way street – assume that your supplier has a BATNA as well. The more time you have spent understanding your supplier, the more you are able to predict what their BATNA looks like. You may elect to disclose your BATNA to the supplier, or you may not. This decision is based on the strength of your BATNA. Having a BATNA builds confidence, which increases the likelihood of successful negotiating.
