Concluding a contract

When you have reached an agreement on the outcome (assuming you have), the agreement should be written down and signed by both parties - this allows for no misunderstanding or misinterpretation later. It is important that you agree jointly on how the publication of the agreement should be made: if it is done bilaterally and simul­taneously, you are likely to get joint commitment for the agreement.

Real commitment is critical for successful implementation. So to make it stick, a record of what actions each party has to take, when, in what sequence, and how to monitor progress, should be made before the negotiation meeting closes. You may also need to have further meetings to monitor progress and clear up administrative details which you were not able to cover completely during the negotiation itself. Check the following:

· Are we all clear about what has been agreed?

· Are we all committed to the agreement?

· Do we need to meet again to clear up any minor (or major) points? When?

· How do both parties feel about the agreements we have made? Were they fair? Do we feel happy? Acrimonious? Bloody-minded? Sick?

After the negotiation is over it is easy to walk away and forget all about it and the performance of the team until the next negotiation takes place. Do not do that! Review what happened before, during, and after the negotiation. If you do not, you will not have learned anything that can make you a better negotiator next time.

Review your planning and preparation; how you conducted the process itself; note any variations in the outcomes from your anticip­ated ones, and why; how your team performed in their roles; which sorts of behaviour were productive, and which were counter­productive; and consider what you need to develop, especially in the skills area, before you sit down to a negotiation again.