Introduction to Negotiations

A negotiation is an interaction of influence. These interactions could occur for several reasons , for example to it could be the process to resolve a dispute , agreeing upon a course of action , bargaining for individual or collective advantage or it could be to craft outcomes to satisfy various needs.

Negotiations require back and forth communication in order to arrive to an agreement that leaves the other side intact and positively (Mylona, 2013).

A negotiation is a skill that should be improved by practice.  Mainly due to the lack of knowledge or practice many people take advantage of it and get their way in many situations. For a variety of reasons many people often very to avoid situations of negotiations. This is mainly due to the fact that they fear the risk of being perceived as the winner at the expense of others. But what moist people don’t realize is that negotiations can bring forward more legitimate and improved results rather than when the situation is ignored and that principled negotiation is the process of achieving an agreement or solution that is acceptable to both or all parties involved. (Britishcouncil, 2006)

Therefore it is important to understand the concepts behind negotiations and how to improve our negotiation skills. Negotiations involve 3 basic elements

•  The process: The context and the tactics used.
• Behavior: The relationship between the parties. ( is the relationship healthy and functional or dysfunctional)
• Substance : What the negotiation is about ( The agenda and the issues at hand )

For example let’s look at how a standard job interview takes place.

Process: The first contact would be through email via the internet and telephone formal meeting. The meeting would be about the qualifications, the reasons to why the candidate applied and why the candidate thinks he/she is eligible.

Behavior: The relationship would be very formal and the interview is generally held in a calm environment.

Substance: Discussion about salary, Qualifications and expectations for the job.

Process of negotiation

Preparation

This is a vital part of any negotiation. Knowing the back ground to the problem and the back ground and personality of the other side will help to come to a good outcome at the end. It would also help to determine your strength when you enter into a negotiation. (Britishcouncil, 2006)

Problem definition

Clearly defining the problem before the negotiation takes place will help to resolve any issues that either party has. And it would help to arrive at a course of action that would be fair and favorable two both parties. (Britishcouncil, 2006)

Problem solving

This is where the problem is solved and how it is done. Mostly problems are effectively solved if both parties developed the ability to think both analytically and creatively/laterally. (Britishcouncil, 2006)

Completion

This is to close the deal properly without any loose ends and making sure that the deal is watertight. (Britishcouncil, 2006)

This was an basic introduction to understand negotiations the following post will take a deeper look in to the concepts and type of negotiations.