Negotiation in English

Negotiation in English

Principles

Negotiation can be defined as a discussion between two sides with the aim of reaching an agreement which would satisfy two things:

• achieving the best possible result for you
• establishing a mutually beneficial working relationship with your counterpart

Best seller: Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher and William Ury:

• Emphasizes inventing options for mutual gain rather than neg. on a Win Lose basis
• Differentiates between positions and interests

Skilled negotiators concentrate on interests rather than positions.

Positional bargaining emphasizes conflict, not common ground and leads to deadlocks.

Best negotiation technique: Principled Negotiation (Win Win). It provides a better way to reach good agreements.

Principles of Negotiation:

There are 4 principles:

1-Separate the people from the problem

Separating the people from the problem allows you to address the problem without damaging the relationship and allows to have a clear view of the problem.

Focus on the problem; attack the problem not the people!

There are three sources of people problems:

A - Perception: Conflicts are based on differing interpretations of the facts.

It is important to understand the other’s viewpoint, and to make proposals appealing to them.

B - Emotions: as a negotiator, you should acknowledge your emotions as legitimate and understand the emotions of the other side. Do not dismiss their feelings as unreasonable.

C – Communication: Misunderstandings can occur due to bad communication. What to do? Active listening. Give speaker full attention. Summarize speaker’s point of view to confirm your understanding. Direct your speech towards the other party.

Understanding the other’s case does not necessarily mean agreeing with them.

The best way to deal with people problems is to prevent them from arising by establishing good relationships.

Good negotiators think of their counterpart as a partner not an adversary.

2- Focus on Interests not positions

Defining the problem in terms of positions means that one side will win and one will lose.

If defined in terms of interests, it could be possible to find a solution that satisfies both parties’ interests.

Examples of Interests:

A negotiator for the employees of a company would have the following interests:

- Good pay for the employees

- Good working conditions

- Security of employment

In a negotiation to sell a product, the seller’s interests could be:

- The profits of the company

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