Negotiation: The Negotiation Day
Problem people should be looked upon as partners.
For any agreement or understanding to be permanent, both parties must have a vested interest in the agreement, or get something out of it.
In their own minds, both parties need to feel as though they are winners.
No one likes to lose face or to be humiliated, to be seen as having ended up with the worst of the deal.
It is in your interest to ensure that your problem person is also a partner, and that your partner walks away with something, and with her or his self-esteem intact.
This is not what some people might consider idealistic; this is realistic for permanent positive results.
It is also important that you agree on what has just been agreed to every step of the way, ie that you verify incremental agreement points as you go along.
Never move on to another point until agreement has been reached on the previous point.
If this does not happen, misunderstandings, either genuine or deliberate, may occur in the future.
Verbally, this can be done with phrases such as:
• “Okay, let me sum up what I think we have just agreed upon.”
• “As I see it, our situation now is………… Is that the way you see it?”
Always seek confirmation with the other person and resolve to keep the agreement.
In some instances, it may be necessary and worthwhile to confirm an agreement in writing and then sign or initial that dated agreement.
If it is a very significant or potentially controversial achievement, it may be appropriate to have the agreement witnessed by a neutral third party.
If an agreement has been based on a compromise on the part of your opponent, you need to realistically evaluate a compromise or compromises that have being discussed or that have been reached and agreed upon.
How permanent might such comprises be?
Are there any constraints on these compromises being sustained, such as?
1. Time constraints
a) Is the timeframe for implementing that compromise realistic?
b) Have all stakeholders of the compromise been notified so that the timeframe is agreeable to them as well?
2. Money constraints
a) Are their financial implications involved?
b) Are all people involved aware of these?
3. Resources constraints
a) Are extra resources, such human resources or systems resources, required to satisfactorily complete the agreement?
4. Are other vested interests of other parties not present, who may feel threatened by the compromise, being considered?
5. If not, are these other parties in a position to be able to work against the compromise and undermine it?
6. Has the other party been sincere when accepting the compromise, or was it just lip-serve to move on?
7. Could there be any difficulties in checking that the compromise will be observed?
This stage of the negotiation process is the glue that holds the preparatory period and the final long-lasting implementation process together.
Without integrity and respect, the negotiation process that took place can be analogous to a small spark in a volcano.
That small spark can be the catalyst to a volcanic eruption in the future.
If a foundation of sincerity and a desire for win-win goals for all is not established at this point, the hope of longevity of outcome is not assured.
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