An overview of the negotiation process

1. Basics in Negotiating
Billy Connelly - Demands
Monty Python negotiation

2. Session objectives
• To understand different negotiation strategies
• Learn how to avoid common pitfalls
• To consider a framework and process that
contributes to a good negotiation process
• Also supports conflict resolution

3. Negotiation
• Def: To confer with one another for the purpose
of arranging some issue by mutual agreement; to
discuss an issue with a view to settlement or
compromise.

4. What kind of negotiator am I?
• 1A: Joint
• 1B: Hard
• 1C: Soft
• 6A: Hard
• 6B: Joint
• 6C: Soft
 2A: Hard
 2B: Joint
 2C: Soft
 7A: Soft
 7B: Joint
 7C: Hard
 3A: Hard
 3B: Joint
 3C: Soft
 8A: Joint
 8B: Hard
 8C: Soft
 4A: Hard
 4B: Soft
 4C: Joint
 9A: Hard
 9B: Soft
 9C: Joint
 5A: Joint
 5B: Hard
 5C: Soft
 10A: Hard
 10B: Soft
 10C: Joint

5. What are the problems with
soft and hard negotiation?
• Hard negotiators
– see pitched battle in which one side has to lose.
– They are determined that it will not be them!
• e.g. 1980's Miners Strike
• Northern Ireland Ian Paisley "Never Never Never"
– Mo Mowlam stepped in in the 90's to broker a deal
– Martin McGuinness IRA /Peter Robinson - now leading NI
• TESCO
• Soft negotiators
– worry about falling out with the other party, since they want to remain friends.
– make too many concessions
– Get walked over
– allow emotions to get involved
– long term danger of catastrophic
– Peace in our times Neville Chamberlain

6. A better way!
Joint (also known as Principled)
•Strive for ‘win-win’ outcomes.
•Clear about what they want from the negotiation and can
be tough in sticking to that
•Understanding the other party’s position
•Find ways jointly to agree a result satisfactory to both of
them.

7. Principled Negotiation (Fisher
and Ury 1992)
– Four elements to principled negotiation
People, Interests, Options and Criteria
•Seek to find a win/win
– Four elements
•A position is the things you say you want / demands / T&C's
1.Interests - Focus on interests, not positions
– Find out the key issues
– Underlying needs/ motivations
– Fears and aspirations
– 'Put yourself in other people's shoes'

8. Principled Negotiation - Four
elements
2. Options - Generate a variety of possibly solutions for mutual gain
– Idea generation
– State that they are options and not positions
2. People - Separate the people from the problem
– See the problem from their point of view
• Perceptions
• Emotions
• Communication
2. Criteria - Insist on some fair objective standard both parties can
agree on
– avoid deadlock

9. What happens when things go
wrong
• Power issues
• People won’t play the game
• Don't accept an unsatisfactory offer
Have a bottom line
• BATNA – Best alternative to a negotiated agreement
(walk away alternative)
• Preparation - gives you confidence and power
– list of actions you might take
– improving old ideas to make practical
– consider your opponents BATNA

10. DVD - Tying the Knot
• Assess your own negotiating style
• Be able to prepare for negotiation
• Understand the three key stages of a successful
negotiation and know what to do, and what to
avoid, at each stage:
• - what’s this negotiation about?
• - the negotiating see-saw
• - how to behave when things go wrong

11. Principled (joint)
Negotiation can be summed
up by a famous nursery
rhyme
Jack Sprat could eat no fat.
His wife could eat no lean.
And so between them both, you see,
They licked the platter clean.
Dr Andrew Hirst Room 9339 11

12. Simple steps you can take
1. See the problem from other points of view,
express concern
2. Identify key issues and concerns
3. Determine what results would constitute a fair
solution
4. Identify possible options to achieve end result
Remember that its all about Win - Win

13. Positional Bargaining
Soft Hard Principled (joint)
Participants are friends Participants are adversaries Participants are problem solvers
The goal is agreement The goal is victory The goal is a wise outcome reached efficiently and
amicably
Make concessions to cultivate the
relationship
Demand concessions as a condition of the
relationship
Separate the people from the problem
Be soft on the people and the problem Be hard on the problem and the people Be soft on the people, hard on the problem
Trust others Distrust others Proceed independently of trust
Disclose your bottom line Dig in to position Focus on interests, not positions
Change your position easily Mislead as to your bottom line Explore interests
Make offers Make Threats Avoid having a bottom line
Accept one-sided losses to reach
agreement
Demand one-sided gains as the price of
agreement
Invent options for mutual gain
Search for the single answer: the only
one they accept
Search for the single answer; the one you
will accept
Develop multiple options to choose from; decide
later
Insist on agreement Insist on your position Insist on using objective criteria
Try to avoid a contest of will Try to win a contest of will Try to reach a result based on standards
independent of will
Yield to pressure Apply pressure Reason and be open to reasons; yield to principle
not pressure.

14. Reading
• Roger Fisher and William Ury (1991) Getting to
Yes: Negotiating an agreement without giving in
• DVD Negotiating: Tying the knot 658.4