NEGOTIATION SKILLS Lessons from Lokpal Saga Team Anna vs Govt of India

Lesson 1 : Lean on Leverage

Anna s Principles and his Fast were the reason that brought the Govt. to the bargaining table The Govt. had the support of other MPs in the parliament without which the Govt. would have to give in to all of Team Anna s Demands. The govt. was successful in converting the debate from Civil Society vs Govt to Team Anna vs Parliament.

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Lesson 2 : Give and Get Respect

Members of both, Team Anna and Govt., lost respect from the people when they started name-calling and making derogatory remarks. Manish Tiwari and Kiran Bedi, two of the most articulate people on TV should have chosen better words to express disappointment, displeasure, frustrations and anger. Such actions only result in , if at all, hollow victories.
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Lesson 3 : Point to Point Communication

The Govt. had different people communicating with Team Anna, the media, the parliament, the MPs etc. which led to most of the chaos and misunderstanding Negotiation is all out perceptions of positions and clarification of those perceptions. Fewer spokespersons help in achieving greater clarity and avoid misunderstandings.
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Lesson 4 : Garner Support of 3rd Parties

The people who are not a part of the negotiation process but are effected by its outcomes have a major influence on the process itself. People supported Anna for many reason, some believed in his principles, some saw him as a savior, some were against the Govts. attitude towards him etc. Without support from the media, BJP and the general public, team Anna wouldn't have been successful.
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Lesson 5 : Calm Your Nerves

Emotions play an important role in any human interaction. Use your emotions to show how serious you are about achieving the outcomes. Emotions of the leader get passed on the supporters. It can be a blessing or a curse. Team Anna was very carful at the kinds of emotions they were transferring to the public, which is why the movement was peaceful.
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Lesson 6 : People Negotiate Positions Not Particulars.

Both ,Team Anna and the Govt. , didn t want to be perceived as giving into the others demand. In addition to the core demands, unlike Team Anna, experienced negotiators will bring to the table a set of good will gesture demands which are given up during the negotiation process. This helps satisfy the other party s ego and does not make them look like the sole looser. No one wants to feel like a loser in a negotiation. Realizing this will help you communicate with the other party better.
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Lesson 7 : To Avoid Deadlock, Use Mediators Right from the Start

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar played an instrumental role in bringing all negotiation parties back to the table. More importantly, being the figure of peace and spirituality that he is, no one could disregard his attempts of reconciliation. Such mediators have to be brought in early (if required) in order to accelerate the process of negotiation.

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Lesson 8 : Remind everyone to Focus on Outcome and Avoid Pitfalls

Anna kept repeating to the public that this movement is not for him or his team but the public. He reminded the people that any form of violence can and will derail the movement. Always focus on the outcome and remind all the parties of the loss of not arriving to a successful close.

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Lesson 9 : Always have a Minimum Bargaining Alternative

First the demand of Team Anna was that the Jan Lokpal bill has to be passed. In the end, their demand was that the resolution has to be passed. Having a planned minimum bargaining alternative is critical to the success of any negotiations. It acts as a minimum criteria for victory which is essential for a subject such as India against Corruption
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Lesson 10 : Time is the Most Valuable Factor

It took 12 days to come to an resolution on 3 critical points. No one is calculating the economic loss to the Govt or the private sector. Fortunately Anna s Ticking Time-Bomb Fast helped the negotiation come to an early close. Stalling is the worst negotiation tactic, even if it works, it should only be used to test the opponents resolve . One shouldn t use it to avoid the situation or the opponent.
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Lesson 11 : In the end, Victory belongs to All Parties OR None At All!

Team Anna, the Govt., the Parliament and the public accepted the resolution and came to an agreement. Think what would have happened if the resolution was not presented. What would have happened? In the end, a win-win for both parties help maintain a positive relationship and keeps the door open for future negotiations.

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Lesson 12 : Don t let History Repeat

Napoleon said, one has the right to make mistakes but not to be surprised. The next time Govt. and Civil Society negotiate, they should remember that the whole country is watching them. The constitution and democracy is at stake and the continuing success of both depends on the everyone leaving their egos aside and working together to achieve a positive outcome. Lessons need to be learn from every negotiation because the more we negotiate, the more we get better at it.
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NEGOTIATION SKILLS

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