2. Chapter 7 Negotiation Strategies

3. The five reasons/syndromes why negotiations often go wrong are as follows: 1.The ‘one-track’ syndrome 2.The ‘win-lose’ syndrome 3.The ‘random walk’ syndrome 4.The ‘conflict avoidance’ syndrome 5.The ‘time capsule’ syndrome

4. The five reasons/syndromes why negotiations often go wrong are as follows: 1.The ‘one-track’ syndrome Main symptoms: One of the negotiators begins the negotiation by stating that there are a number of key points to be covered and arranges them in an apparently logical order. Frequent interruptions to prevent the other party from talking at length on ‘irrelevant’ matters. Clear signs of frustration and/or non- acceptance in the part of the other party.

5. Continued 2.The ‘win-lose’ syndrome Main syndromes: Refusal to accept the validity of the other’s views, claims and arguments. A large number of critical statements, personal attacks and emotional outbursts. A lot of closed questions and leading statements to gain compliance with preconceived ideas (for example, ‘you must accept that…’ or ‘you do not seem able to understand that …’).

6. Continued 3.The ‘random-walk’ syndrome Main syndromes: There is no summary of the issues agreed or discussed at the end of a meeting. When one of the negotiators attempts to summarize, the other party objects that s/he never agree to these points.

7. Continued 4.The ‘conflict-avoidance’ syndrome Main syndrome: No agenda setting Asking open questions with no follow through. Rapid switches to more ‘comfortable’ topics. Unconditional concession making. Proposal are made as a ‘gift’.

8. Continued 5.The ‘time-capsule’ syndrome Main syndrome: One negotiator treats the encounter with a great deal more gravity than the other, and gets frustrated when the other party does not see things in a similarly serious light. One party is in a more highly charged emotional state. One party raises an issue that the other person thinks has nothing to do with the current dispute.

9. Key points for avoiding common mistakes 1.Do not interrupt the other party. Talk less and listen actively. 2.Use adjournments to keep control over your team and discussions. 3.Set yourself a clear, specific and realistic goal before entering a meeting. 4.Summarize regularly. 5.List the points of explanation, interpretation and understanding.

10. Continued 6.Avoid weak language, such as ‘We hope’, ‘We like’, ‘We prefer’. 7.Don’t always criticize the other party. Look for common ground. 8.Avoid irritators. Value- loaded words like ‘unfair’ or ‘unreasonable’ tend to provoke a defensive or aggressive response. 9.Avoid emotional outbursts, blaming, personal attacks or sarcasm.

11. Conclusion When negotiating you need to prepare your strategy and tactics before entering a discussion, but there are no guarantees There are too many variables which affect the way people perceive and respond to each other, to predict precisely what to do on particular situations. In virtually all negotiations, you must adapt your strategy and behaviors to fit the needs of the particular case.