Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1. Communication in negotiation
Verbal communication means communication by
means of words (whether in writing, or face to face –
oral communication).
Non-verbal communication includes such cues as the
following:
Facial expression
Eye contact (too little looks
shifty; too much is staring)
Gestures (eg using the hands
and head to indicate
encouragement)
Posture (slouching suggests lack of attention
or interest)
Proximity (how near you stand or sit to
others)
Personal appearance (including grooming
and dress)
Noises and silences
2. Behavioural technologies
The behavioural style adopted by a
negotiator can have an important effect
on eventual outcomes.
There has been extensive research into
the styles of behaviour adopted by
successful negotiators.
Behaviours of superior negotiators identified by
Rackham
A. During pre-negotiation planning
Considered more outcome options for the issues being
discussed
Spent more time looking for areas of common ground
Thought more about the long-term consequences of
different issues
Prepared their goals around ranges rather than fixed points
Did not form their plans into strict sequential order
B. During face-to-face bargaining
Made fewer immediate counterproposals
Were less likely to describe their offers in glowingly positive
terms Avoided defend-attack cycles
Used behavioural labelling, except when disagreeing
Asked more questions, especially to test understanding
Summarised compactly the progress made in the negotiation
Did not dilute their arguments by including weak reasons
when they were trying to persuade the other party
C. During face-to-face bargaining
Made fewer immediate counterproposals
Were less likely to describe their offers in glowingly positive
terms Avoided defend-attack cycles
Used behavioural labelling, except when disagreeing
Asked more questions, especially to test understanding
Summarised compactly the progress made in the negotiation
Did not dilute their arguments by including weak reasons
when they were trying to persuade the other party
D. During post-negotiation review
1. Resource Investigator
Uses their inquisitive nature to find ideas to bring back to the
team.
• Strengths: Outgoing, enthusiastic. Explores opportunities and
develops contacts.
• Allowable weaknesses: Might be over-optimistic, and can lose
interest once the initial enthusiasm has passed.
• Don't be surprised to find that: They might forget to follow up
on a lead.
2. Teamworker
Helps the team to gel, using their versatility to identify
the work required and complete it on behalf of the
team.
• Strengths: Co-operative, perceptive and diplomatic.
Listens and averts friction.
• Allowable weaknesses: Can be indecisive in crunch
situations and tends to avoid confrontation.
• Don't be surprised to find that: They might be hesitant
to make unpopular decisions.
3. Co-ordinator
Needed to focus on the team's objectives, draw out
team members and delegate work appropriately.
• Strengths: Mature, confident, identifies talent.
Clarifies goals.
• Allowable weaknesses: Can be seen as
manipulative and might offload their own share of
the work.
• Don't be surprised to find that: They might over-
delegate, leaving themselves little work to do.
4. Plant
Tends to be highly creative and good at solving
problems in unconventional ways.
• Strengths: Creative, imaginative, free-thinking,
generates ideas and solves difficult problems.
• Allowable weaknesses: Might ignore incidentals,
and may be too preoccupied to communicate
effectively.
• Don't be surprised to find that: They could be
absent-minded or forgetful.
5. Monitor Evaluator
Provides a logical eye, making impartial judgements
where required and weighs up the team's options in a
dispassionate way.
• Strengths: Sober, strategic and discerning. Sees all
options and judges accurately.
• Allowable weaknesses: Sometimes lacks the drive and
ability to inspire others and can be overly critical.
• Don't be surprised to find that: They could be slow to
come to decisions.
6. Specialist
Brings in-depth knowledge of a key area to the
team.
• Strengths: Single-minded, self-starting and
dedicated. They provide specialist knowledge and
skills.
• Allowable weaknesses: Tends to contribute on a
narrow front and can dwell on the technicalities.
• Don't be surprised to find that: They overload you
with information.
7. Shaper
Provides the necessary drive to ensure that the team
keeps moving and does not lose focus or momentum.
• Strengths: Challenging, dynamic, thrives on pressure.
Has the drive and courage to overcome obstacles.
• Allowable weaknesses: Can be prone to provocation,
and may sometimes offend people's feelings.
• Don't be surprised to find that: They could risk
becoming aggressive and bad-humoured in their
attempts to get things done.
8. Implementer
Needed to plan a workable strategy and carry it out as
efficiently as possible.
• Strengths: Practical, reliable, efficient. Turns ideas into
actions and organises work that needs to be done.
• Allowable weaknesses: Can be a bit inflexible and slow
to respond to new possibilities.
• Don't be surprised to find that: They might be slow to
relinquish their plans in favour of positive changes.
9. Completer Finisher
Most effectively used at the end of tasks to polish and
scrutinise the work for errors, subjecting it to the highest
standards of quality control.
• Strengths: Painstaking, conscientious, anxious. Searches
out errors. Polishes and perfects.
• Allowable weaknesses: Can be inclined to worry
unduly, and reluctant to delegate.
• Don't be surprised to find that: They could be accused
of taking their perfectionism to extremes.
Meredith Belbin nine roles
There are many different
techniques of team building
(creating cohesive groups), but
team cohesion is often based
on fostering the following
elements:
•Team identity: the sense of being a team
•Team solidarity: loyalty to the group
•Commitment to shared goals: cooperation in
the interests of team objectives
•Competition, crisis or emergency: members
of a group will act in unison if the group’s
existence or patterns of behaviour are
threatened from outside.
Moving on to the specific context of team
negotiations, research indicates that
integrative agreements are more likely to
be achieved by teams than by individuals.
This applies even when only one of the
parties is represented by a team.
Good relations between team members
foster success in negotiations.
Research indicates that groups
of friends do well when
negotiating with groups of
strangers, because they are
more cohesive and more
focused.
4 Effective questioning skills
Skilful questioning is a key technique for negotiators. Various authorities have
attempted to classify the types of question that may be asked. As an example,
Steele, Murphy and Russill (in it’s a Deal) classify questions as follows.