CRITICAL NEGOTIATION SKILLS FOR UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS PAPER PRESENTED BY PRINCE TONNY M. E. DOGUN II REGISTRAR, RITMAN UNIVERSITY, IKOT EKPENE, AKWA IBOM STATE. AT THE TRAINING WORKSHOP FOR SENIOR ADMINISTRATORS (SENIOR ASSITANT REGISTRARS- DEPUTY REGISTRARS) OF NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES.

1. Everything is negotiable 1. Everything is negotiable. Whether or not the negotiation is easy is another thing. Carrie Fisher 2. In negotiation, the parties should be more eager to agree than to disagree. T. M. E. Dogun II

QUOTE 3. One of the best ways to persuade others is by listening to them. Dean Rusk 4. Information is a negotiator’s greatest weapon. Victor Kiam

CRITICAL NEGOTIATION SKILLS FOR UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS

What is negotiation? The activity or business of negotiating an agreement; coming to terms. A discussion intended to produce an agreement. Discuss the terms of an arrangement.

Job descriptions for professional administrators do not list negotiation skills as desirable assets for job candidates. So you may ask, “why bother with it now? The reason for having negotiation skills is not far - fetched – the world is changing and there is a demand to be globally- minded and to do things differently. There is a growing need and demand to demonstrate relevance and promote value addition to the organisation.

Beside, its no longer business as usual for University Management, especially in private Universities. New dynamics of keen ownership interest and involvement demand new skills to keep the ship “afloat”. Abraham Lincoln said- “Yesterday’s solutions are no longer adequate for solving today’s problems’’.

Hence, new skills and competencies in all fields of endeavor are required if relevance is to be maintained and roles better understood. Today’s University administrators must dare to be different as there is a growing demand for things to be done differently and efficiently, too.

Standards, expectations and requirements that were once accepted, are now being challenged and re-defined for global relevance. So ANUPA is thinking ahead and preparing you both for your present and future roles and assignments. The circumstance of negotiation occurs when two parties or groups of individuals

disagree on the solution for a problem or the goal for a project or contract. A successful negotiation requires the two parties to come together and hammer out an agreement that is acceptable to both. However, the ability to negotiate requires a collection of interpersonal and communication skills used together to bring about desired results.

What are these skills Problem Analysis Determine the interests of each party to the negotiation. Have a detailed problem analysis that identifies the issue, the interested parties and the outcome goals. For example, in an employee/employer contract negotiation, the problem or where the parties disagree may be salary or benefits.

Identifying the issues for both side can help find a compromise for all parties. 2. Preparation Before entering a bargaining meeting, the skilled negotiator prepares for the meeting. Preparation includes determining the goals, areas for trade and alternative with stated goals. In addition, negotiators must study history of the relationship between the two parties and past negotiations to find areas of

common goals and agreement common goals and agreement. Past precedents and outcomes can set the tone for current negotiations. 3. Active Listening The ability to listen actively is a vital skill in the negotiation process. This involves the ability to read body language as well as verbal communication. It is important to listen attentively to the other party to find areas for compromise

during the meeting. Spending more time listening to the other party is more valuable than spending the bulk of the time expounding the virtues of your view point. 4. Emotional Control It is essential that a negotiator have the ability to keep his emotions in check during the negotiation.

Negotiation on a contentious issue can be frustrating, allowing emotions to take control during the meeting and can lead to unfortunate results. Being emotionally entangled during the negotiation can lead the negotiator to accept a compromise or concede a position in an attempt to end the frustration that come from being emotionally involved.

5. Verbal Communication Having the ability to communicate clearly and effectively to the other side during the negotiation is an ability that is considered indispensable to the negotiator. Misunderstandings can occur if the negotiator does not state his case clearly. During a bargaining meeting, an effective negotiator must have skills to state his desired outcome as well as his

reasoning. 6. Problem Solving Individuals with negotiating skills have the ability to seek a variety of solutions to problems. Instead of focusing on his ultimate goal for the negotiation, the individual with skills can focus on solving the problem, which may be a breakdown in communication, to benefit both side of the issue.

7. Interpersonal Skills. Effective negotiators have the interpersonal skills to maintain a good working relationship with those involved in the negotiation. Negotiators with patience and the ability to persuade others without using manipulation can maintain a positive atmosphere during a difficult negotiation.

8. Decision Making Ability One of the important skills a leader should have is the ability to make good decisions. Leaders with negotiation skills have the ability to act wisely and decisively during a negotiation.

9. Collaboration and Teamwork 9. Collaboration and Teamwork. Negotiation is not necessarily a one side against another arrangement. Effective negotiators must have the skills to work together as a team and foster a collaborative atmosphere during negotiations.

10. Ethics and Reliability Demonstrating ethical standards and reliability in negotiations promotes a trusting environment for openness and freedom. Both sides in a negotiation must trust that the other party will follow through on promises and agreements. A negotiator must have the skills to execute on his promise after bargaining ends.

Thank you.

Bibliography Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. Roger Fisher & William L. Ury. Getting Past No. William Ury. Getting More: How to Negotiate to Achieve Your Goals in the Real world. Stuart Diamond.