Effective-Method-of-Negotiation

EffectiveMethodofNegotiationWhatisNegotiation?Negotiationistheinteractivesocialprocessinwhichpeopleengage,whentheyaimtoreachanagreementwithanotherpartyorpartiesonbehalfofthemselves.Negotiationisprimarilyacommonmeanofsecuringone'sexpectationsfromothers.Itisaformofcommunicationdesignedtoreachanagreementwhentwoormorepartieshavecertainintereststhataresharedandcertainothersthatareopposed.-AccordingtoShorterOxfordDictionary,1977-Negotiation:Toconferwithanotherforthepurposeofarrangingsomemattersbymutualagreement;todiscussamatterwithaviewtosettlementorcompromise.-GinnyPearsomBamessayes,Negotiationisaresolutionofadisagreementusinggiveandtakewithinthecontextofaparticularrelationship.Itinvolvessharingideasandinformationandseekingamutuallyacceptableoutcome.-ThePepperdineUniversityofUSAhasdevelopedanexplanatorydefinitionofnegotiation:Negotiationisacommunicationprocessusedtoputdealstogetherorresolveconflicts.Itisavoluntary,non-bindingprocessinwhichthepartiescontroltheoutcomeaswellastheproceduresbywhichtheywillmakeanagreement.Becausemostpartiesplaceveryfewlimitationsonthenegotiationprocess,itallowsforawiderangeofpossiblesolutionsmaximizingthepossibilityofjointgains.-AccordingtoWilliams,LegalandSettlement1983,Negotiationisarepetitiveprocessthatfollowsreasonablypredictablepatternsovertime.Yetinlegaldisputessomuchoftheattorney'sattentionandenergyareabsorbedbythepre-trialprocedureandtheapproachofthetrial,thattheyfailtorecognizetheimportantidentifiablepatternsanddynamicsofthenegotiationprocess-MAnsteyexplainscoreelementsofnegotiationasfollows:1.Averbalinteractiveprocess;2.Involvingtwoormoreparties;3.Whoareseekingtoreachagreement;4.Overaproblemorconflictofinterestbetweenthem;and5.Inwhichtheyseek,asperaspossible,topreservetheirinterests,buttoadjusttheirviewsandpositionsinthejointefforttoachieveanagreement.Broadlyspeaking,negotiationisaninteractionofinfluences.Suchinteractions,forexample,includetheprocessofresolvingdisputes,agreeinguponcoursesofaction,bargainingforindividualorcollectiveorcraftingoutcomestosatisfyvariousinterests.Negotiationisthusaformofalternativedisputeresolution(ADR).CharacteristicsofNegotiation:•Negotiationinvolvestwoormorepartieswhoneed(orthinktheyneed)eachothersinvolvementachievingadesiredoutcome.Thereisacommoninterestthatconnectstheparties.•Thepartiesstartwithdifferentopinionsorobjectives.Itisthesedifferencesthatpreventagreement.•Thepartiesarewillingtoco-operateandcommunicatetomeettheirgoals.•Thepartiescanmutuallybenefitoravoidharmbyinfluencingeachother.•Thepartiesrealizethatanyotherprocedurewillnotproducedesiredoutcome.•Thepartiesthinkthatnegotiationisthebestwaytoresolvetheirdifferences(oratleas,apossibleway)•Theyalsothinkthattheymaybeabletopersuadethepartytomodifytheiroriginalposition.•Eveniftheydonotgettheiridealoutcome,bothretainthehopeofanacceptableoutcome.•Eachhassomeinfluencerealorassumedovertheothersactions.Ifonepartyiscompletelypowerless,negotiationwillhavelittlepointfortheother.•Thenegotiationprocessitselfinvolvesinteractionbetweenpeople.Thisinteractionmightbeinperson,bytelephone,letteretc.oritmightuseacombination,becauseitispersonal,emotionsandattitudeswillalwaysbeimportant.ConditionsforNegotiation:Avarietyofconditionscanaffectthesuccessorfailureofnegotiations.Thefollowingconditionsmakesuccessinnegotiationsmorelikely:Identifiablepartieswhoarewillingtoparticipate:Thepeopleorgroupswhohaveastakeintheoutcomemustbeidentifiableandwillingtositdownatthebargainingtableifproductivenegotiationsaretooccur.Ifacriticalpartyiseitherabsentorisnotwillingtocommittogoodfaithbargaining,thepotentialforagreementwilldecline.Interdependence:Forproductivenegotiationstooccur,theparticipantsmustbedependentuponeachothertohavetheirneedsmetorinterestssatisfied.Theparticipantsneedeithereachother'sassistanceorrestraintfromnegativeactionfortheirintereststobesatisfied.Ifonepartycangethis/herneedsmetwithoutthecooperationoftheother,therewillbelittleimpetustonegotiate.Readinesstonegotiate:Peoplemustbereadytonegotiatefordialoguetobegin.Whenparticipantsarenotpsychologicallypreparedtotalkwiththeotherparties,whenadequateinformationisnotavailable,orwhenanegotiationstrategyhasnotbeenprepared,peoplemaybereluctanttobegintheprocess.Meansofinfluenceorleverage:Forpeopletoreachanagreementoverissuesaboutwhichtheydisagree,theymusthavesomemeanstoinfluencetheattitudesand/orbehaviorofothernegotiators.Ofteninfluenceisseenasthepowertothreatenorinflictpainorundesirablecosts,butthisisonlyonewaytoencourageanothertochange.Askingthought-provokingquestions,providingneededinformation,seekingtheadviceofexperts,appealingtoinfluentialassociatesofaparty,exercisinglegitimateauthorityorprovidingrewardsareallmeansofexertinginfluenceinnegotiations.Agreementonsomeissuesandinterests:Peoplemustbeabletoagreeuponsomecommonissuesandinterestsforprogresstobemadeinnegotiations.Generally,participantswillhavesomeissuesandinterestsincommonandothersthatareofconcerntoonlyoneparty.Thenumberandimportanceofthecommonissuesandinterestsinfluencewhethernegotiationsoccurandwhethertheyter