ADVICE FOR NEGOTIATORS
Sy Landau
From: HRPAO Experts Bureau Library, 2004

Although most of us do not consider ourselves to be negotiators, we all negotiate frequently, at work, at home, and in the economy. The following suggestions may improve your negotiating skills and increase your confidence when entering into negotiating situations.

Consider your objectives

Your objective in a negotiation should be to arrive at a "better" solution than you could achieve through other methods, such as negotiating with someone else, litigating, making something yourself or doing without.

"Better" might mean that you get more of what you want, but it might also include meeting other important interests, such as maintaining a better relationship with the other party, resolving the issue quickly and, increasing the likelihood that the other party will cooperate in making the agreement work.

Consider your alternatives

Before you enter negotiation, you should think about what alternative process you may be in if negotiation fails, and what the probable outcome would be. How do you feel about being in that process and how do you feel about the probable outcome?

Your objective in negotiation is to do better than in the probable alternative process. Even if you do not get all your needs met in this negotiation, would they be met in the other process?

Keep this in mind during the entire negotiation process, if you are tempted to withdraw, or if your approach appears to be driving the other party to withdraw.

Think about your interests

When people enter negotiations, they usually take a "position" that reflects their preferred outcome. If people stick to their positions, negotiation is unlikely to succeed.

Your position is usually based on a package of "interests": that is, needs or concerns that you want to be included in any agreement. Your position is what you want; your interests are why you want it.

Listen carefully to the other party

Remember that in negotiation, the parties must fashion an agreement that both will sign and both will adhere to. Neither party will sign an agreement that does not address at least some of their important interests.

You must listen carefully when the other person is speaking, so that you can really understand their needs and concerns. You should ask questions to help you understand.

The other person will listen more carefully to you if it is obvious that you listened to him or her. That means your questions, observations and body language should show that you are listening.

Be firm, clear and respectful when you speak

Just as you must understand the other person's interests, you must have your needs and concerns heard and understood. This will be most likely if you explain your needs and concerns in a firm, unambiguous and respectful way. Try to avoid negative language, accusations or personal attacks; these discourage the other person from listening to you and this works against your interests and against the success of the process.

Be flexible in considering solutions

Remember, you want an agreement that meets your interests; so does the other party. It should not matter whether it was your "pet solution", as long as your interests are largely met.

Be prepared to consider a range of options. Do not reject any options until you have time to really consider them

Be prepared to settle

The people taking part in the negotiation should have the authority to accept an agreement. If some other approval process is needed, that should be divulged at the beginning of the process, because it could create frustration and ill-will if comes out at the end of the process.