1. Conflict Management and Negotiation Skills
Ghanshyam Bhandari

2. Presentation Outline Introduction: Conflict and Negotiation
Basic Concept of Conflict
Strategies of Conflict Management
Negotiation: An Art of Getting Others to ‘Yes’
Styles and Approaches in Negotiation
Negotiation Skills: How to Make a Great Deal?
Beyond Substance: the ‘Formalistic’ Factors
Conclusion: Managing Conflict Intricacies through Negotiation

3. Introduction: Conflict and Negotiation
Inevitability of conflict in today’s world
Changing perception about conflict and role of negotiation
Understanding of conflict: Shift from the narrow sense of conflict as a harmful force to a much wider sense as a productive force in organization/society
Key ideals: Collaboration, cooperation, compromise
Hard on issues, soft on people- main mantra solving conflict through negotiation

4. Basic Concept of Conflict
Conflict is a struggle or contest within a person or between people vis-a-vis opposing needs, ideas, beliefs, values, or goals;
A disagreement between two or more people about policies, process, activities or outcome;
Conflict is neither be benevolent nor evil in itself;
A natural phenomenon of personal/ organizational life;

5. Basic Concept….(Contd.)
Traditional View
The view of conflict as harmful (prevalent before WWII)
Conflict resulted from poor communication, lack of openness and failure to respond
Current View
Conflict as a natural and inevitable outcome
Focuses on productive conflict resolution
Conflict is not only a positive force but also an absolute necessity for a group to perform effectively
(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved.

6. Basic Concept…..(Contd.)
Conflict Types
Interpersonal
Intragroup
Intergroup
Interorganizational
Structured vs unstructured conflict (bound/not bound by rules)
Functional vs dysfunctional conflict

7. Basic Concept…(Contd.)
Dysfunctional Conflict
(Hinders the goal and leads to damages)
Functional Conflict
(supports the goal and improves performance)

8. Strategies of Conflict Management

9. Strategies of Conflict Management
Conflict process involves
Antecedent conditions (personal variables)
Cognition and personalization (felt differences)
Behaviors (overt action, conflict)
Outcomes (change in performance)
Conflict management is about avoiding, delaying, or containing the symptoms of conflict (at any stage of the process above) rather than resolving the root causes of conflict.

10. Strategies of Conflict Management
Win-Lose Model
I win, you lose
I lose, you win
I win, you win (A great deal)
I lose, you lose
Rational Problem-Solving Model
(More applicable in structured conflicts, use of rule of law, and well-defined processes)

11. Strategies of Conflict Management

12. A Case Study On Organizational Conflict

13. Negotiation: An Art of Getting Others to ‘Yes’
Negotiation as a tool of conflict management
Almost like an everyday phenomenon for public servants
Based on the general premise of ‘win-win’
More relevant and popular as conflicts are getting complex day by day

14. Negotiation: An Art….(Contd.)
Elements of Negotiation
Power
Information
Time
Relationship
Interest
Substance
Options
Commitment

15. Negotiation: An Art….(Contd.)
Types of Negotiation
Positional vs Interest-based
(bargaining about position vs principled negotiation)
Hard vs soft
(based on the treatment of people)
Distributive vs Integrative
(Sharing the outcome at the cost of other party vs reaching mutually-satisfying result)

16. Negotiation: An Art….(Contd.)
Steps of Negotiation
General Steps: Preparing, Opening, Bargaining, Closing
RADPAC (Rapport, Analysis, Debate, Propose, Agreement, Close)
J.E. Osborne’s six steps: Preparing, Listening, Reconciling, Specifying, Focusing, and Suggesting

17. Negotiation: An Art…(Contd.)
Negotiation: You must be fully prepared to lose a great deal to make a great deal (Ancient proverb)
‘Getting to Yes without Giving in’ (Roger Fisher and Willian Ury)
Do not bargain over positions but interest
Separate people from the problem (hard on problem, soft on people)
Focus on interests and principle
Use objective criteria
Develop BATNA (‘What if there is no agreement’ option)

18. Styles and Approaches in Negotiation
Game Theories: win-lose options (prisoner's dilemma)
Approaches: avoiding, collaborating, competing, compromising, accommodating
Six useful tactics: sharing information, rank your priorities, know your target outcomes, make the first offer, don’t counter too low, flexibility-the key (Grant and Galinsky)
Nepali scenario: ‘one track’ syndrome, win-lose syndrome, random walk syndrome, conflict avoidance syndrome

19. Negotiation Skills: How to Make a Great Deal?
General Skills
Understanding people
Focusing on interests
Insisting on objective criteria
Communicating properly
Know your priority but do not counter too low- do not offend the interlocutors
Be aware of the use of ‘dirty tricks’

20. Negotiation Skills….(Contd.)
Situational Skills
Be alert to cross-cultural sensitivities
Need to be more alert, cope with distance/space/time differences
Know your BATNA
Different situation skills: dealing with powerful opponents, human side? more objective?
‘Disruptive’ technologies: to use or not to use, that is the question,

21. Negotiation Skills…..(Contd.)
Moving out of the box, the key
Going into the balcony (For rest, self control and calmness)
Listening & Respect (The cheapest concession is to give someone respect)
Power of reframing (Move from positions to interest)
Power of bridging (Make the other side easier to make the decisions you want

22. Beyond Substance: the ‘Formalistic’ Factors
Sitting position: upright position/alert, no crossed-legged in front of VIPs/dignitaries, no leaning against the sofa
Observing dress code
No leg moving/crossing, nose pricking, excessive body movement
Respect to others, their views and culture
More of listening and understanding rather than speaking
To know’ is absolutely good but to say ‘I know’ even when you are not asked is equally bad

23. Beyond Substance….(Contd.)
Arrival-host/guests, punctuality
Introduction : HOW (Hierarchy or Old to Young or Woman first)
Tea/drink serving/who drinks first?
Table Manners (esp. during lunch and dinner)
‘Ladies -courtesy towards them, ladies first in queuing, food stall lining etc.
Calling/writing names, extra care in accuracy including in designation of others

24. Beyond Substance….(Contd.)
An Example !
Handshake : The First Impression
Introduce yourself
Readiness to engage
Eye contact
Smile
Physical closeness
Touching?
Namaskar, hugging, kissing,
handshakes, bowing down

25. Negotiation Intricacies
Conflict/issue/interest
Skills
‘Getting to others Yes’

26. Conclusion: Managing Conflict through Negotiation
Conflict: May be a short term hardship but will provide an opportunity for growth and development
Conflict management can very well be aided by negotiation tactics
The key is to focus on principles, not position/power
Conflict is like a ‘strong wind’ (build walls to block it or build windmills)

27. A Case Study on Negotiation Tactics

28. Thank you very much for your attention