Successful Negotiation

The Five Modes of Responding to Conflict

High ................ Yield Collaborating

Satisfying the Other's Needs... Compromising

Low.............................. Avoiding Competing

Low...............Satisfying our needs.............. High

The key to successful negotiation is to shift the situation to a "win-win" even if it looks like a "win-lose" situation. Almost all negotiations have at least some elements of win-win. Successful negotiations often depend on finding the win-win aspects in any situation. Only shift to a win-lose mode if all else fails. *

Outline tactics that may be used by the opposition, including (The D's):

• Deflect (e.g., not our responsibility)

• Delay (e.g., long wait for additional review)

• Deny (e.g., no real problem)

• Discount (e.g., problem not as bad as portrayed)

• Deceive (e.g., claiming no data available on the problem)

• Divide (e.g., try to get some group members to oppose others)

• Dulcify or appease (e.g., offer a less effective alternative)

• Discredit (e.g., labelling advocates as "soft headed liberals")

• Destroy (e.g., effort to harm those who support change)

• Deal (e.g., encourage acceptance of an alternative)

• Done (e.g. claiming problem already dealt with)

The most important keys to successful conflict resolution:*

• bargain over interests, not predetermined positions

• de-personalize the problem (separate the person from the problem)

• separate the problem definition from the search for solutions

• try to generate alternative solutions; try to use objective criteria as much as possible

• reflect on your negotiations; learn from your successes and mistakes

• from: Negotiations and Resolving Conflicts: An Overview, prepared by Professor E. Wertheim - web.cba.neu.edu

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