 Send this to me by autoresponder
The Art of Win:Win Negotiating
None of us operates in a vacuum. Other people always play
an
important role in our lives and in our businesses. We cannot fully
succeed unless we manage our relationships in a way that helps
us move toward our goals.
Of course, other people have goals, too. Clearly, one of the keys to
a productive relationship is learning how to create situations that
benefit all parties.
Throughout the 1980s, as the Information Age expanded and
accelerated, a new model of individual behavior emerged,
characterized by a fiercely independent frame of mind. During
that time, many people learned to achieve their goals through
manipulation and intimidation.
Now, modern entrepreneurs recognize the wisdom of working
interdependently in order to be truly effective. The accelerating
pace of change and the explosive proliferation of information has
created a situation where no one person can possibly keep up
without enlisting the support and help of others. In today's market-
place, you have to be skilled in negotiating the terms of interaction
between yourself and your clients, colleagues or staff.
The Law of Reciprocity says that Like generates Like. From this
principle comes a radically new concept of winning: Winning and
Losing do not have to go hand-in-hand.
Who says that there must be a loser just because there is a
winner? With some effort and creativity, you can orchestrate a
situation so that all parties can have a win. The fundamental
premise of this philosophy is called Win:Win. Win:Win is the
highest form of reciprocity to which we can aspire.
Win:Win negotiation is essential when:
* you are building long-term relationships
* the results are likely to be public knowledge
* tension exists between the participants
* you want to take advantage of the synergy gained from
collaborative effort
Trained Win:Win negotiators always try to conduct themselves
according to the behavior appropriate to a Win:Win approach. They are assertive rather
than aggressive, creative versus antagonistic,
even if the other person is not willing to cooperate.
The skilled Win:Win negotiator focuses on the issues involved
and doesn't allow personalities to get in the way. If your negotiating
partner resorts to personal attacks or makes outrageous demands,
you can bring his behavior under control by maintaining control of
your own. The wise negotiator keeps cool under all circumstances.
Here are the key behaviors essential to a Win:Win negotiation:
** Be flexible. Start your negotiations with specific objectives, but don't draw a
"line in the sand". Have the confidence to adjust your
end game as you learn what the other person wants.
** State your objectives up front. Ask the other person to describe their desired end
result of the negotiations. This is crucial if you want a Win:Win outcome. The idea is not
to achieve your objectives OR their objectives. The purpose of Win:Win negotiation is to
have both of you working together to discover ways to achieve your objectives AND her
objectives.
** Use AND thinking. Determine if it is possible to achieve both
sets of objectives as they stand. If not, identify the common ground in both objectives.
** Concentrate on reasons, not positions. When you have a
difference of opinion, find out the reasons behind the differences.
When you take a position, there is a reason why you made that
decision. Attacking the decision or the position is a recipe for
deadlock, hard feelings and anger. Skilled Win:Win negotiators
explain their own reasons for a position and question the other
person to discover the thinking behind his or her decisions.
** Search for options. Concentrate on creatively generating
alternative solutions, ideas and possibilities that best fit the
objectives of both parties. This is an opportunity to really take
advantage of the creative power of two-heads-better-than-one.
** Trade concessions. Don't donate them. If you are asked to make
concessions from your ideal objective, ask the other person to
offer something in return. Say "If I do that for you, will you do this
for me?"
** Do your homework. The key to effective negotiation is prep-
aration. What can you learn in advance about the other person's
desired objectives, the current situation, preferences and
negotiating style? How well have you specified your objectives,
your bargaining chips and your bottom-line?
** Develop the shopping list. Before you start bargaining, obtain
a list of issues that your negotiating partners want to bring up. Be
sure to articulate your own list so you can start the bargaining with
a complete list of all the issues to be negotiated. This will help
prevent new issues from being introduced all along the way.
** Keep a written record of progress. As you come to agreement
on each issue, write it down. This will help maintain forward momentum.
** Make the most of your bargaining chips. Identify those con-
cessions you are willing to make that have a low cost to you and
that are important to your negotiating partner. When you offer
such a concession, remember to ask for something you want
in exchange.
** Slow down. Don't respond to pressure or urgency by making
snap decisions. Take a break to give yourself time to consider
the ramifications of your next actions. Never give away anything
when you do not fully understand the consequences.
** Encourage creativity. Use words like "What if we...", "What
about...", Would this...?" Draw ideas and pictures on a large paper or flip
chart. Occasionally, stop the bargaining to do some brainstorming together, then resume
the negotiation.
Remember that more and more, the issues being negotiated are
intangible. Time, service, quality and commitment are important
issues for negotiation. The value placed on each facet of these
intangibles is hard to see, touch and measure. Every person puts
different weight and value on these issues that make up much
of our negotiations.
As a skilled Win:Win negotiator, you must recognize that the way
another person values an issue may differ from your own. All
people view things their own way. Getting to an understanding
of how much the other person values each issue will allow you
to effectively bargain issue for issue.
In a world driven by information and knowledge, the traditional
rules of hard-nosed negotiation are less useful. Winning in
today's marketplace means ensuring that everyone can achieve
their necessary goals and outcomes. This in turn allows us to
establish and maintain long term business relationships.
© 1998 BizSuccess All rights reserved. No
duplication
About the Author...
Gary Lockwood is Your Business Coach.
Grow your business, make more money and have more fun.
Get the Unique, Do-It-Yourself Business Consulting Kits - FREE
To get yours, go to http://www.BizSuccess.com/freekits.htm
Get Gary’s business newsletter free at mailto:subscribe@bizsuccess.com
Visit http://www.bizsuccess.com * Mailto:Gary@BizSuccess.com
Office: (800) 272-1575 (USA) * Fax: (760) 325-9608
|
