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Student Reps: Negotiation Skills handout

Negotiation Skills
Introduction
Negotiation is something that we do all the time and is not only something we use in meetings.
Generally it is a way of compromising with another person/s where there are two or more
conflicting
points of view. There are many reasons why you may want to negotiate and there are several
ways
to approach it. The following is a few things that you may want to consider.
Why Negotiate?
If your reason for negotiation is seen as 'beating' the opposition, you’re probably about to
embark
on fighting a losing battle. This is because you will not be aiming to direct the other person/s to
reach a compromise with you, but rather to an outcome that benefits you alone.
Ideally when negotiating you will want to aim to be 'friendly' (though assertive) with the aim of
reaching agreement that benefits all or most of the parties involved.
Planning and How to Negotiate
Pre-negotiation preparation
Before you decide to negotiate, it is a good idea to prepare. What exactly is it that you want to
negotiate? Set out your objectives. For example: -
A group of students have asked you to require the University to provide lecture notes before
every lecture
In order to negotiate you have to take into account how the objective will benefit the University,
possibly by offering some sort of incentive: -
In the case of the above example the incentives you could raise with the University could be
to: -
- point to the overall learning benefits to students and more specifically to those students
who have learning disabilities.
- point out how it would assist improving student perception of teaching which could be
advantageous for National Student Survey results
You’ll also need to think about what the University may be trying to achieve in their negotiation
with
you. This means finding out whether there is any information/policy you could use to reach a
final
agreement.
In this example, historically the University have used varying arguments including that
lecturers do not have enough time to produce lecture notes for every lecture or are
concerned that by giving out lecture notes before the lecture, students will not attend or will
not listen to the lecture itself.
Preparing for what the University may say to oppose the argument you have made, helps you to
plan what you may say in response (this is where negotiation comes in!): -
In the above example you may want to offer a compromise by suggesting that lecture notes
be made available after the lecture. This way you acknowledge the University’s concern
over non-attendance at lecture. You could also highlight that the main purpose of the notes
is to aid the learning experience from the lecture (i.e. not worrying about having to take too
many notes), not to avoid attendance. Additionally, you could state that whilst there is
additional work burden to lecturers the benefits to students should outweigh this burden, and
point out that notes can be recycled year on year when the lecture is repeated.
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Student Reps: Negotiation Skills handout
The Negotiating Process
So, it's time to negotiate and you've prepared well. What other skills do you need to employ?
Two
things: confidence and power. Your power will come from your ability to influence. As mentioned
above, this may come in the form of outlining the benefits of your proposal to the University.
Confidence comes from knowing what the students want (and as appropriate what University
policy
or the committee papers say) so that you are able to communicate this well to the other party.
Coming to an Agreement
Once you have come to an agreement, it is important that you check what how/when any new
policy that’s been agreed etc is going to be implemented. If it’s been negotiated during a formal
meeting you will need to check that the minutes reflect what’s been agreed. If you are
negotiating
informally (i.e. outside of a committee meeting), you may want to ask the person you have
negotiated with to send you an email confirming what has been agreed.
SUMMARY
Know what THE STUDENTS want. Think through exactly what you want out of the
negotiation- be specific and have valid reasons for why you need what you’re asking for.
Knowing what you want, and why, will help you to be clearer and more confident.
Know what THE UNIVERSITY wants. Before you start negotiating, it's important to have an
idea of what the University or your particular department would like the outcome to be, too.
So think it through - why do they need what you're offering/asking for? And do your research
- how can you make the University feel like they've got a good deal?
Be fair. If what you're asking for is fair and justifiable then you're much more likely to get
what you want. Try and demonstrate how what you want is reasonable, and you're on the
way to getting what you want.
Believe you're worth it. You have to believe that the students deserve the desired
outcome. If you don't, the moment you are questioned about it, your argument will fall apart
because you don't have enough confidence in it. Believe it, trust yourself - and rehearse it.
Listen carefully. When the other person is talking to you during negotiations, don't use that
time to plan your next line of attack - it's more important that you listen to them and see their
point of view. They'll take you more seriously if you do, even if you disagree with them.
Keep it friendly. Negotiating isn't about confrontation; it's about two parties reaching an
amicable, mutually beneficial agreement. Keep that in mind when you're talking and, even if
you don't get what you want this time, view it as good practice for the future.
Have an alternative. When you're discussing specifically what you want, as well as what
they want, work out what you'd be prepared to walk away with if you're not successful. Is
there an acceptable alternative that will keep both parties happy in the short-term? Throw
this into the negotiation if it doesn't go in your direction - everyone can compromise.