Pre-Study for Conflict Management and Negotiation Skills

Conflict Management Purpose How to accept criticism without letting it bring you down. Technique Act like a fog! Imagine you are fog. When someone throws a stone at you, you absorb that stone without throwing the stone back. This is a very easy and effective technique to use against people who keep criticising you repeatedly. Examples: Suppose someone accuses you like this: You just dont understand You are lazy You are always late You dont feel responsible

You should simply accept the criticism, true or not, and then repeat it back to the person who criticised you. Yes, I just dont understand Yes, I am lazy sometimes Yes, I was late Yes, I just dont take responsibility

Keep doing this and the person who is throwing the stones at you will eventually run out of them. This is an elegant and simple method to avoid a back and forth argument and just let the other persons rage flow out of him. Practice this with someone you know well, by telling them to criticise you rapidly and follow the fogging technique and see how it feels. Use wisely and in appropriate circumstances. Negotiation is the process of bargaining that precedes an agreement. Successful negotiation generally results in a contract between the parties. Best type of negotiation is win-win which means both parties will be satisfied with the result. Win-Win negotiation is about alliance not conflict. Successful negotiation results in long lasting and fruitful professional relationships between parties, reduced tension and stress associated with aggressive bargaining methods and leads to more productive and creative businesses.

(Created by Vandana Bhatti Soft Skills Trainer)

In this article we explore five steps to a more successful negotiation for all parties involved: 1. Be Prepared. Make sure you are absolutely clear on what outcome you want to achieve before entering a negotiation. Plan your questions, strategies, alternative offers and suggestions based on how the other party may react. Study and research other partys long term goals, their recent activities and businesses and their past negotiation history and techniques. Ensure you know what their requirements or offers are before starting. 2. Listen Effectively. The main purpose of effective listening is to understand the other person. By listening and showing genuine interests in other partys offers, suggestions or ideas, you can create a positive and productive environment for empathic communication which is more likely to results in success. 3. Give Credit. Successful negotiators dont want the glory of winning a contract all for themselves. They often throw ideas to the table and watch and encourage their team members or even opposite party to expand on the suggestions and come up with a winning result. A competent negotiator appreciates and praises people involved for their contribution even if they had came up with the original idea themselves. 4. Compromise. Be prepared to be flexible and to change your position and requirements base on how negotiation is progressing. You should have alternative offers or requirements in order to be able to deal with any unexpected proposition or ideas from opposite party. Remember this is a win-win negotiation not I-want-to-win-all negotiation. The results should bring success for both parties. 5. Recapitulate the Results. At the end of the session, list all the points covered in the meeting. Make sure everyone is aware of the final agreement. Be prepared to answer questions about the results and offer postmeeting help and support. Negotiation Skills Only used for business purposes. For example, we use it in our social lives perhaps for deciding a time to meet, or where to go on a rainy day. Negotiation is usually considered as a compromise to settle an argument or issue to benefit ourselves as much as possible.

(Created by Vandana Bhatti Soft Skills Trainer)

Communication is always the link that will be used to negotiate the issue/argument whether it is face-to-face, on the telephone or in writing. Remember, negotiation is not always between two people: it can involve several members from two parties.

Nine tips for improving negotiation skills 1. Remember youre the expert Buyers often have to buy products or services they dont really understand. Think of negotiation as education. 2. Negotiation is a two-way street Negotiation is a process of give and take. When you give a concession to the buyer, always ask for something in return. 3. Hold firm to your principles Dont forget you have something the buyer wants; they need you as much as you need them. When something is important to you, stick to your guns. Buyers will respect you for it. 4. Know when to walk away If the deal is unacceptable, cut your losses early. Ive heard horror stories from fellow soloists and my own clients who have taken loss-making contracts hoping to make up the margin along the way. This rarely happens and the lingering ill-feeling is bad for everyone. 5. Dont be intimidated You do not need to automatically accept the contract terms a buyer offers you. Remember, its their job to get the best possible outcome for their company. Thats your job too. Be particularly wary of unfairly punitive contract clauses, such as late fees or liquidated damages. 6. Keep your ear to the ground Always stay alert for clues that may tell you where you are placed on the shortlist. Its a good sign if the buyer promptly returns your calls, keeps promised meeting times and gets back to you when they say they will. 7. Stay consistent If you had professional assistance with writing your pitch, consider ongoing help to draft negotiation correspondence too.

(Created by Vandana Bhatti Soft Skills Trainer)

8. Dont celebrate until the contract is signed The negotiation process has many twists and turns and what looks good today might not look so good tomorrow. 9. Respect the process In a formal tender, buyers and sellers are bound by probity rules to ensure a fair outcome for both parties. If a buyer or their employees unwittingly let confidential information slip, it could jeopardize everyones chances. If tendering is part of your business development strategy, keep it clean.

(Created by Vandana Bhatti Soft Skills Trainer)