Supplement - behaviour in negotiations

This chapter began by pointing out the misconceptions about negotiat­ing which are portrayed by the media. And there are those who will prefer to stick to the positional, hard-line style, unaware of a more effective alternative. If you are unfortunate enough to be faced with a 'hard case', there are certain guidelines to which you should en­deavour to adhere:

1. Maintain a polite and businesslike approach.

2. Do not retaliate when abusive behaviour is used.

3. Continue to negotiate on your interests, even if the other party is not doing so - ask for reasons for their stance (even if you know that there are none) and try to expose the weakness of their case by logical and reasoned discussion.

4. Invite ideas and criticism of your case, and suggest that your opponent try to look at the situation from your perspective.

5. Continually focus attention away from yourself and towards the issues under discussion.

6. Ignore unreasonable or personal attacks and respond by keeping silent; after a short silence try to refocus the discussion on the issues.

7. Instead of accepting bald statements, ask for objective criteria, reasons, explanations, back-up figures, precedents or summaries, even if you know they do not exist.

8. Show your enthusiasm for a fair solution and repeat your readiness to produce or agree objective criteria.

9. Listen for any sign of co-operation and then encourage it, welcome it, praise it, focus on it and make sure that you keep it 'on the table'.

10. Periodically summarize the areas where agreement has been reached and highlight the items which are still being negotiated, stressing your enthusiasm for the 'successful strides which have already been taken to reach agreement'

11. Do not respond to the following tricks:

• personal abuse, namecalling, etc.

• totally misleading or deceitful comments, half-truths orrumours

• rhetorical questions

• brinkmanship

• impossible/escalating demands

• sarcasm

• attempts to increase the stress on you

• last-minute introduction of some other person to whom reference has to be made, when you had been told that you were negotiating with the decision maker.

12. If all else fails, be prepared to adjourn the discussion. Use the adjournment time to:

• allow tempers to cool

• review the points agreed and reconsider the items outstanding

• take stock of the situation

• carry out further checks on your negotiating partner(s)

• seek any further approval or authorization which you might need.