Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Practices of
Negotiation
Presented by
Mediation – (Conciliation):
a neutral third party assists the
parties reach a negotiated
settlement but has no power to
decide the issues in dispute.
Arbitration:
a neutral third party is given the
power to decide the issues in
conflict. The arbitrator decides
after hearing arguments and
reviewing evidence.
Trial in Court:
evidence is presented to a judge or
jury for a decision under formal
rules of law and procedure.
Competitive negotiators want to "beat" their opponents; they use high demands,
threats, and make few concessions. They generally try to undermine their
opponent's confidence and seek the maximum for themselves. This traditional
style of negotiating goes by a number of different terms such as positional, win-
lose, adversarial, power negotiating, hardball, and hard bargaining.
COOPERATIVE
DISTRIBUTIVE BARGAINING
In distributive bargaining the parties think of the items being negotiated as fixed
and each party tries to get the most for himself. Usually there is just one issue
for negotiation and more for me means less for you. Negotiators are bargaining
over the distribution of profit on the bargaining range. This is a "zero sum"
negotiation. Although the goals of the parties are in direct conflict, a negotiator
can be either competitive or cooperative in a distributive bargaining situation.
INTEGRATIVE BARGAINING
During integrative bargaining, the parties are working together to increase the
amount of resources and to maximize mutual gain. Integrative bargaining
requires two or more issues so that trades can be made. Creating the additional
resources is sometimes referred to as "expanding the pie." Some would call this
"Win-Win" negotiating. The theory here is that the parties have different
interests which can be integrated (reconciled) to create joint gains. Joint gains
are an improvement for all parties to a negotiation.
INTEREST-BASED
Positions are "what" the negotiators say they want. They are really solutions
which have been proposed by the negotiators. Positions are based upon the
interests of the parties; interests are usually not disclosed, at least not in
competitive negotiations. In most negotiations people take, and then give up, a
series of positions. Behind every position lie many interests.
INTERESTS
Interests are "why" the negotiators want the positions they take. Interests lie
behind the positions of the negotiators. Interests represent the basic needs to be
met. Money and price are not interests in themselves. Money represents
purchasing power, the ability to acquire other needs, status, or power itself.
Understanding interests is the key to understanding "win-win" negotiating. In
many negotiations the interests are never explicitly discussed. In fact, interests
are usually kept secret. Successful "win-win" negotiating requires finding a way
to disclose interests without being taken advantage of.
BATNA
BOTTOM LINE
The bottom line is the position at which the negotiator will walk away from the
negotiation. It is also known as a reservation price. If the negotiator cannot get
at least their bottom line in the negotiation, they will go somewhere else.
ZONE OF AGREEMENT
The Zone of Agreement represents the difference between the bottom lines of
the parties. If there is no overlap in the bottom lines of the parties, no
agreement is possible
A__
M_____
Q________
1) Focus on
________
2) Improve the
______
Whether you are negotiating with a hostage-taker, your boss, or your teenager, the basic
principles remain the same. In summary, the five steps of what the author calls "breakthrough
negotiation" are:
1. Go to the Balcony. The first step is to control your own behavior. When your opponent says no
or launches an attack, you may be stunned into giving in or counterattacking. So, suspend your reaction
by naming the game. Then buy yourself time to think. Use the time to figure out your interests and your
BATNA. Throughout the negotiation, keep your eyes on the prize. Instead of getting mad or getting
even, focus on getting what you want. In short, go to the balcony.
2. Step to Their Side. Before you can negotiate, you must create a favorable climate. You need to
defuse your opponent's anger, fear, and suspicions. He expects you to attack or to resist. So do the
opposite: Listen to him, acknowledge his point, and agree with him wherever you can. Acknowledge his
authority and competence, too. Disarm him by stepping to his side.
3. Don't Reject . . . Reframe. The next step is to change the game. Instead of rejecting your
opponent's position--which usually only reinforces it--direct his attention to the problem of meeting each
side's interests. Take whatever he says and reframe it as an attempt to deal with the problem. Ask
problem-solving questions, such as "Why is it that you want that?" or "What would you do if you were in
my shoes?" or "What if we were to . . . ?" Rather than trying to teach him yourself, let the problem be his
teacher. Reframe his tactics, too: Go around stone walls, deflect attacks, and expose tricks. To change
the game, change the frame.
4. Build Them a Golden Bridge. At last you're ready to negotiate. Your opponent, however, may stall,
not yet convinced of the benefits of agreement. You may be tempted to push and insist, but this will
probably lead him to harden and resist. Instead, do the opposite--draw him in the direction you would
like him to go. Think of yourself as a mediator. Involve him in the process, incorporating his ideas. Try
to identify and satisfy his unmet interests, particularly his basic human needs. Help him save face and
make the outcome appear as a victory for him. Go slow to go fast. In sum, make it easy for him to say
yes by building him a golden bridge.
5. Bring Them to Their Senses, Not Their Knees. If your opponent still resists and thinks he can win
without negotiating, you must educate him to the contrary. You must make it hard form him to say no.
You could use threats and force, but these often backfire; if you push him into a corner, he will likely lash
out, throwing even more resources into the fight against you. Instead, educate him about the costs of not
agreeing. Ask reality-testing questions, warn rather than threaten, and demonstrate your BATNA. Use it
only if necessary and minimize his resistance by exercising restraint and reassuring him that your goal is
mutual satisfaction, not victory. Make sure he knows the golden bridge is always open. In short, use
power to bring him to his senses, not his knees.
The breakthrough strategy requires you to resist normal human temptations and do the opposite
of what you usually feel like doing. It requires you to suspend your reaction when you feel like striking
back, to listen when you feel like talking back, to ask questions when you feel like telling your opponent
the answers, to bridge your differences when you feel like pushing for your way, and to educate when you
feel like escalating.
At every turn the strategy calls on you to choose the path of indirection. You break through by
going around your opponent's resistance, approaching him from the side, acting contrary to his
expectations. The theme throughout the strategy is to treat your opponent with respect--not as an object
to be pushed, but as a person to be persuaded. Rather than trying to change his mind by direct pressure,
you change the environment in which he makes decisions. You let him draw his own conclusions and
make his own choice. Your goal is not to win over him, but to win him over.
2. Nonspecific Compensation.
One side gets their objectives and the other side is paid off for
accommodating the other's interests.
Example: W tells H that if he goes to the seashore, she will
buy him a new set of golf clubs.
3. Logrolling.
If two or more issues are in disputes, the negotiators may be able
to do a series of trade-offs. One side gets their top priority on the
first issue and the other side gets their top priority on the second
issue.
Example: H wanted an inexpensive cabin; W wanted a
luxury hotel. If W prefers quality of accommodations to the place,
a luxury hotel in the mountains might meet both their needs.
4. Cost Cutting.
One side gets their objectives and the other's sides costs are
reduced by going along with the first side.
Example: H likes a quiet, peaceful vacation; W likes the
beach because of all the activity. An inexpensive place on a
isolated beach may fit the needs of both.
5. Bridging.
The parties are able to invent new options that meet each side's
needs and interests.
Example: H really wants to hunt and fish; W want to swim,
shop, and enjoy the nightlife. Maybe they can find a resort that has
all of these.
COMMUNICATION TIME
45 % Listening
30 % Speaking
16 % Reading
9 % Writing
# 2: No. As a matter of fact, you're really quite average. And, you obviously didn't
understand what I just said.
Most people think at between 450 and 500 words per minute, but most people can only
talk at about 150 words per minute.
The speed difference between listening speed and speaking speed is time most people
spend jumping to conclusions, daydreaming, planning a reply, or mentally arguing with
the speaker.
This chapter by George Thompson & Jerry Jenkins from their book Verbal Judo (1993)
describes fourteen benefits of active listening. Thompson & Jenkins use the word
"paraphrasing" instead of "active listening."
To paraphrase, put most simply, is to put another person's meaning into your
words and deliver it back to him. If you're taking abuse, you want to somehow intrude
so you can make the diatribe a conversation. Then you can cast what you think lies
behind his aggressive words (his real point) in your own words (which will be calmer
because you're not the emotionally charged one here), and be sure that you have
heard it correctly.
When you paraphrase like that, you have actually inserted yet a third person into
a two-person dialogue. Suddenly you have not his words with his meaning or your
words with your meaning, but your words with his meaning. I'll get into the fourteen
reasons why this is so effective, but first, how do you do this? There are two basic
steps.
This weapon is that single sentence that allows you to cut into a tirade and take control.
It's hard to stop people talking. They are upset and they can't be told "Get to the point!"
All that will get you is "I am getting to the point! You're not listening." And don't tell
people to shut up or to calm down or to let you talk, because they won't shut up, they
won't calm down, and they won't let you talk.
So you start with the Sword of Insertion, a wedge into the harangue like "Whoa!"
or "Listen!" (spoken earnestly, not in anger) or "Wait a second."
Here then is the powerful sentence that will allow you to interrupt anyone without fear of
bodily harm: "Let me be sure I heard what you just said."
Professor John Barkai --- University of Hawaii Law School - p. 11 -
This simple sentence is so empathetic, so full of conciliation and cooperation, so
pregnant with sincerity, that you'll hardly ever see someone let it slide by. What you're
saying, in essence, is "Let me be sure I understand you. Let me be sure we're on the
same wavelength. Let me be sure I heard that."
One. Magically, in one sentence, by paraphrasing you've hooked the other person.
He's listening. Using the Sword of Insertion with that sentence is the only way I know
to interrupt somebody without generating further resistance.
Two. You have taken control because you're talking and he is listening.
Three. You're making sure of what you heard right on the spot, not finding out
later you misunderstood.
Four. If you have not heard the person accurately, he can correct you. That fills
your pockets with ammunition. The more you know about somebody, the better, and
the more he speaks, the more he reveals about his emotions, his prejudices, and his
assumptions. That can only help you in deflecting insults, keeping his attention, and
generating voluntary compliance.
Five. You have made the other person a better listener, because no one listens
harder than he does to his own point of view. You're telling him, "Here's what I hear you
saying," and you can bet he wants to hear that.
Six. You've created empathy. The other person will believe you're trying to
understand. Whether you really are interested is irrelevant. What's important is that
he thinks that you are, and nothing makes him more certain than that Sword of Insertion
sentence "Whoa! Let me sure I heard what you just said."
Seven. Once you have thrust the Sword of Insertion and pronounced the
ultimate empathetic sentence, you have gained attention. Then, to affect this seventh
benefit of paraphrasing you want to immediately follow up with something like this:
"Okay, you are feeling X because of Y, true?" The X equals an emotion, like anger or
frustration, and the Y equals a reason. You don't even have to be right. You're
guessing at this point. For instance, it might go like this: "Whoa! Listen, let me be
sure I understand what you're saying. You're feeling angry because you believe I
purposely undermined you in front of your colleagues yesterday at the meeting."
Professor John Barkai --- University of Hawaii Law School - p. 12 -
Now the person can correct either the emotion you used for X or the reason you
used for Y. He might say, "Well, no, I'm not angry. I'm disappointed." Now you're
getting somewhere. Whether he's angry or disappointed will make a difference in
where you go from there. Or he might modify X, the reason. "Yeah, I'm angry, but I'm
not saying you purposely did it."
Notice that my being right is not the issue. Making the attempt to get it right is
the issue, because I'm appearing concerned and it allows the upset person to modify
his original statements. And that's the seventh benefit of paraphrasing. He's becoming
more reasonable, without your having to vainly shout "Be reasonable!" (which never
works).
My advice in a situation like that is to give in, because I've tried arguing and I
always wound up sleeping in the pickup truck.
Nine. This advantage is to using paraphrasing is that it has a clarifying effect for
people standing around. When you're dealing with a difficult person in public, whether
in a store or an office or on the street, you don't want to be overheard sounding badly.
Remember the ancient principle: Look good, sound good, or no good. Paraphrasing is
gentle. It tones down the volume and makes a diatribe a conversation. There should
be no condemnation in the completely disinterested voice, the essence of effective
paraphrasing. Paraphrasing should make me sound as if I'm trying to work on the
problem, rather than react to the problem.
Too often we're so concerned about what people ought to be saying that we
paraphrase them as we would have said it. That always insults and angers people.
From that point on, the person who might otherwise panic and become hysterical
and of no help is giving you information. Though your approach may sound
aggressive, it shows tremendous concern. It gives the comforting impression that you
are helping, that you are in control. Frightened people usually calm down when they
think their crisis is finally being handled by somebody who cares.
I once heard the story of a lady who lived on a street corner where traffic
accidents were common. She learned over the years to deal forthrightly with people
who were injured or scared. One day a particularly hellacious collision resulted in an
old woman being trapped in a car and her son, a middle-aged man, running to the
corner house in a panic. "I don't want my mama to die out there," he wailed.
The lady met him at the door with blankets and a bottle of water and information.
"I have already called the paramedics and they're on their way," she said. "Keep your
mother warm and calm until they get here."
I asked how she knew someone was trapped in a car. "Because he came
running. As soon as I heard the collision, I called nine-one-one and grabbed the
blankets and the bottle. I knew the first thing out of his mouth would be the nature of
the trouble, and I could tell by his face that he was frantic. I figured if I seemed to have
things under control and could convince him his loved one needed to be kept calm, he
would have to calm down too."
In most other situations metaphrasing does not work well, and paraphrasing is
preferable.
Eleven. You can ask for reverse paraphrasing to be sure the other person
understands you. If you want to be a better supervisor, or ensure that your children
understand you, ask that they paraphrase back to you what they take to be your
meaning.
I've found that up to seven of ten people will misread a document and miss the
point. More horrifying, eight of ten misunderstand most verbal exchanges. It's easy to
talk, but it's hard to listen well. And when you ask someone, "Do you understand what
I've just said?" very few people will admit they missed your point. The key is not to ask
for a negative answer. Ask the person to tell you what you said, and you'll get an
accurate reading how you've communicated. Remember, the responsibility for the
understanding belongs to the speaker, not the listener. Your job is to get through.
Be careful not to condescend by implying that you just know the person will
misunderstand. Rather, put the onus on yourself. Ask him to repeat it back to you for
your benefit: "To be sure I said what I intended to say, would you give back what you
understand the point of this discussion has been?" People will do that, and it
safeguards you.
Professor John Barkai --- University of Hawaii Law School - p. 14 -
Twelve. You also safeguard yourself by paraphrasing back what your boss or
your spouse or children say. It's possible your supervisor may not say exactly what he
or she meant. If you don't get it right, are you going to win the argument later? You
walk in with a report your boss asked for two weeks before and he hits you with "I told
you I needed you in here at ten o'clock so I could have that for my meeting at eleven.
This report's worthless now."
You know full well he never said ten o'clock, and you thought you were several
hours early with it. Are you going to say, "You never said it had to be to you by ten"?
In the interest of truth, you might try that. But then he or she says, "I most
certainly did, and that was the most important part of the assignment. What's the
matter with you?" Argue that one, right or wrong, and you're liable to be arguing for the
last time. Your only recourse at that point is to say, "I'm sorry. I must not have heard it."
If you had paraphrased before you left the office the first time, your boss would have
heard either that you missed the time deadline or that he or she forgot to mention it. It
would be clarified, and your hard work would eventually pay off.
Don't rely on others to always say what they mean, no matter what their position.
Paraphrase it back. That makes you look good, and it ensures a top level of
professional work. (Besides, bosses love to hear themselves quoted!)
Fourteen. Finally, when you paraphrase, it etches the facts in your mind. If you
have to write a report or you're phoning information back to your boss about the facts of
a meeting, the paraphrasing reinforces your own memory. Your report, written or oral,
will be more concise and more accurate.
- Tom Sawyer
Reframing is the process of changing the meaning of an experience. It could be said
that "It all depends on how you look at it." Reframing changes how a person looks at it.
Generally, reframing changes a negative framework to a positive framework.
Is the glass half full or half empty? It depends on how you look at it. Tom Sawyer did
not have to be a painter because he turned out to be a reframer.
When you reframe for yourself, you are choosing to see something in a different way.
Assisting others to reframe often involves persuasion.
Therapists have used reframing techniques to turn problems into assets. They turn a
client's negative behavior, thoughts, or feelings into resources. Nothing is imposed or
removed. The perception is altered and used for, not against, the client.
Is it reliable?
John L. Barkai
Excerpt from
27 San Diego L. Rev. 101 (1990)
Nonverbal communication has been a major focus of attention for researchers and
practitioners in many different fields for over twenty-five years. Lawyers and businesspeople,
however, seem just beginning to awaken to what others have long known - nonverbal behavior is
extremely important in determining the nature of communication and the relationship between the
communicators.
Everyone has been informally trained since birth in the process of "sending" and "receiving"
nonverbal communication. The popular writers refer to these skills of detecting and interpreting
nonverbal behavior as "reading body language."
In most of the legal writing about reading nonverbal behavior the general hypothesis has been
that by using an analysis of nonverbal behavior, you may be able to determine whether people you
are talking to are receptive to you and your message.
While the focus on reading nonverbal behavior is important, it is, at the same time,
incomplete. We must be aware that nonverbal communication is a two-way street. If you can read
the nonverbal behavior of other people, those other people can also read your body language.
The central idea presented here is that people can consciously "speak" body language by
adopting certain body postures. A large amount of empirical research in the fields of counseling and
psychotherapy has demonstrated that the body position of the people can significantly affect the
relationship between the people. By speaking body language, you can improve rapport and do
better in negotiations.
To "speak body language" you should adopt what has been called either an "attending
position" or the "postural echo or mirrored position."
John Barkai
27 San Diego L. Rev. 101 (1990)
The SOLER Position: The easiest to remember description of appropriate nonverbal attending
posture is referred to as the SOLER position. SOLER is an acronym for:
The Mirrored Position: The other suggested position is the postural echo or mirrored position.
This position depends entirely upon the posture of the other person. You should "echo" the posture
of the other person. When two people are in a mirrored position, it is as if there were a mirror
between the two. This postural echo is often seen in everyday life and has been the basis of
considerable experimental research. The theory behind this technique is that people who are in
rapport or who share a common opinion often assume mirrored body positions. Knowing that fact, by
taking a mirrored position, agreement can be communicated nonverbally.
Copy their body posture so it looks as if there is a mirror between you. However, do not mirror
hand and arm movements or make rapid changes in your position.
What do I know?
2) RELATIONSHIP
Do the negotiators or their constituents have any history together? What was
that prior relationship like? How are they getting along now during the
negotiation? Do they have a good relationship? Is it strained? Have they just
met for the first time? Will the parties have a continuing relationship or will this
be a "one-shot" negotiation? Even if the parties are not likely to work together in
the future, will reputations be made in this negotiation that will follow the
negotiators in the community?
3) ISSUES
The issues involved in the negotiation are the topics to be negotiated. They are
also the questions and concerns that each party raises during the negotiation. It
is usually very helpful to frame the issues as questions to be answered rather
than statements that are made.
4) POSITIONS
The positions in the negotiation are the solutions that each person has in mind.
Positions are the "What" that the negotiators want. Many different positions are
considered during a negotiation including, the opening position (demand), a fall
back position, a bottom line, and a BATNA (Best Alternative To A Negotiated
Agreement).
5) INTERESTS
Interests are the basic needs that negotiators seek to be met in any agreement.
If you know the interests, you know "why" the negotiators take the positions they
do during the negotiations. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is helpful here.
Initial:
2. 2. 2.
Current:
First Fallback:
US
Negotiation 3. 3. 3.
Styles:
Bottomline:
4. 4. 4.
BATNA:
5.
Desired:
Ways to improve:
6.
7.
Who: Past: 1. Estimated Initial: Estimated:
2.
Negotiation Current: Estimated
Styles: Bottomline:
3. Disclosed:
THEM
4.
Desired: Estimated BATNA:
Professor John Barkai --- University of Hawaii Law School - p. 22 -
Professor John Barkai --- University of Hawaii Law School - p. 23 -
Professor John Barkai --- University of Hawaii Law School - p. 24 -
NEGOTIATIONS: STRATEGIES & TACTICS
A Film
Tricks, however, are not likely to make you a better negotiator. Understanding the
negotiation process is the most critical thing to learn about negotiations. Nonetheless, most
people do hope to learn some new tactics at a negotiation course, and hopefully you have
learned some new tactics here. But if you are interested in more tactics, a whole range of
tactics are listed on the following pages. As the tactics are set forth here, no value judgment is
made as to their honesty or usefulness in negotiation.
For example, "You two aren't trying to use the old good-guy bad-guy ploy on me are you?"
Generally, your opponents will deny trying to use the tactic, but will also stop using it.
If you hope to keep the negotiation going, give them some room to back away from the dirty
trick gracefully and to save face.
NEGOTIATING TACTICS
AGGRESSIVENESS
Aggressiveness or the lack of it may be an unchangeable part of one's personality. It
might be useful in negotiations to force the other side into concessions or to make errors.
As with anger, aggressive or competitive behavior is likely to provoke a similar response
from the opposing negotiator.
APPARENT WITHDRAWAL
The negotiator appears to have withdrawn from the process and yet still has the
negotiation covered through an associate or by other means.
BACKTRACKING OR UNRAVELING
After a few issues appear to be settled, a negotiator, to get his way on a new
issue, may threaten to undo the earlier agreements.
BLAMING or FAULT-FINDING
Blaming or assigning fault is an aggressive tactic which may invoke conciliatory behavior,
either because of induced guilt feelings or a sensed need to mollify. It may focus
negotiation on a substantively irrelevant, but psychologically volatile or conflictual, issue.
BLAND WITHDRAWAL
One of the negotiators might leave the negotiation without showing emotion or giving an
explanation. A negotiator might take some action and then claim that he did not know
that he was doing something in a way that the other side would object to.
BOULWAREISM (Take-it-or-leave-it)
Lemuel Boulware, former labor negotiator at GE in the 1940s, would do his research and
make what he thought was a fair and reasonable offer to the union. There was only one
offer made. Boulware did not offer any later concessions. It was "Take it, or leave it."
This tactic will not work if the other negotiator expects you to make high demands with
later concessions. In labor negotiations, such a tactic is now considered an unfair labor
practice and is illegal.
DEADLINES
Set deadlines when you want them. "I need your answer by tomorrow at 3 p.m." Ignore
deadlines when you do not want them.
ESCALATION
Most negotiations progress from a set of initial high demands, through a series of
concessions, to a final, lower settlement. Sometimes a negotiator will break away from
this pattern and actually increase or escalate the demands during the course of the
negotiations.
FAIT ACCOMPLI
You present your opponent with a completed and seemingly unchangeable action. Your
opponent accepts rather than opening up the process again. For example, you can send
back a signed contract, but one in which you have made changes. You send a signed
check, but for less money than what they other side wanted.
FALSE SCARCITY
Psychologically when faced with a limited commodity, or the commodity becomes scarce
or restricted, people react by wanting more of it than when it was more available.
Negotiators use this psychology be suggesting that the opportunities are quite limited.
FEINTING
An apparent move in one direction is used to divert attention from a move in the other
direction. You look left, and then pass to the right. Mislead them as to your present
intention. You stress goals that are unimportant to you and then give them up for
concessions from the other side that are important to you.
FLINCH
React visibly (flinch) when you first hear the offer. Your nonverbal communication (you
can add the verbal too) says "That is much too much!"
FORBEARANCE
Forbearance calls for delaying, holding off, and stalling rather than giving an immediate
response to your opponent’s requests. If you concede too quickly, your opponent might
gain a psychological advantage. Delaying your response might cause your opponents
to rethink their positions. Even when you know that you will reject their offer, if you
delay rather than give an immediate "no," you appear to have thoughtfully considered
their idea.
GOOD-GUY BAD-GUY
HIGHER AUTHORITY
The negotiator appears to agree with your position, but has to report to a higher
authority. The higher authority is never present, and of course says "No deal" on those
terms. This tactic is very common when buying a new car. "I'd like to give it to you at
the price we talked about," says the salesperson, "but the boss said 'no.'" It is helpful to
claim you must take the proposal to a higher authority, - your client, boss, partner,
spouse, mother, etc.
HOT POTATO
If they hand you a big problem, try to hand it back to them immediately or at least let
the stream out the potato.
INDUCED COMPETITIVENESS
Induced competitiveness converts what would ordinarily be a two party
negotiation into a multi-party negotiation where all the parties interested in
a particular good are forced to compete with one another for it. The
competition makes the item more desirable and drives up its price. An
alternative way of inducing competitiveness is to create an auction for the
item.
INSCRUTABILITY
Inscrutability often comes from using silence and not offering any reactions. This is the
classic poker player's tactic. Don't let them read your cards by reading your face.
Actually, the face often will not leak out nonverbal reactions. Look to the hands and
feet for the nonverbal leakage.
LIMITS
Negotiators can either set and respect limits or refuse to acknowledge them. If the
legislative session must end at midnight, the limits can be changed by unplugging the
clock.
LINKAGE
Linkage attempts to expand the scope of a negotiation by bringing in issues
which, while not clearly related, one can make a plausible case for
considering. The effect is to change bargaining power and leverage, or to
change the focus and character of the dispute or the set of gains or
opportunities the parties are trying to decide. Adding issues or parties can
change the dynamics of negotiation.
LOW BALLING
The negotiator makes a low offer to attract the other side, but there is no intention of
going through with the deal on the terms offered. Later, they will say that there are
NIBBLE
The deal is done, or at least it looked that way. Now one of the negotiators asks for
one more small concession. The concession is so small that the other party often gives
in just so not to upset the deal.
PERSISTENCE
No. No. No. Be persistent in your resistance. Say "no" until your tongue bleeds. The
refusal to move can test the other side’s firmness and uncover just how much
concession room there is.
PRECEDENTS
As justification for refusing to do what the other negotiator wants you to do, you claim
that the desired action would set a bad precedent for you. "If I do that for you, I will
have to do that for everyone."
“PRECONDITION” DEMANDS
Setting a precondition to negotiation is a way of obtaining a concession without giving
any in return. Demanding satisfaction of a precondition may not only gain a concession
without cost, it may also reveal how eager the other side is to secure a deal. The
response to this tactic is to be clear you consider the precondition a part of the
negotiation, and that you expect a reciprocal concession.
PRINCIPLE
Appeals to principle are often highly persuasive. One good way to prepare
for negotiations is to develop arguments of principle for the positions one
takes.
Professor John Barkai --- University of Hawaii Law School - p. 33 -
RED HERRING
A red herring is a false, yet highly distracting, issue that a party can use to
bring pressure to bear on the other side. It is most useful in negotiations
where the parties represent outside constituencies that can be manipulated
to pressure a recalcitrant party. The false demand tactic is a version of the
red herring.
RELUCTANCE
Accept their offers very slowly. If you are too quick to accept, they will think that they
are giving you too much. They may even try to back out on you.
REVERSAL
You move in the opposite direction. By appearing to go backwards (or sideways) you
are actually moving forwards.
SALAMI (Piecemeal)
Do not go for everything at once. Go for it piecemeal. Take one slice at a time until you
get the whole salami.
WALK AWAY
The classic tactic in third-world markets and is often used here too. If you cannot get
the price you want, walk away from the deal and maybe they will follow you. This tactic
is a bluff. To work effectively, you have to be able to truly walk away from this deal and
seek out your BATNA.
Flinch.
EXTRAVERSION INTROVERSION E - I
SENSING INTUITION S - N
THINKING FEELING T - F
JUDGMENT PERCEPTION J - P
E I S N T F J P
75% 25% 75% 25% 50% 50% 50% 50%
M60/W40
1/16 = 6.25%
1. Are you
(1) easy to get to know, or
(2) hard to get to know?
2. If you were a teacher, would you rather teach
(1) fact courses, or
(2) theory courses?
3. Are you usually
(1) a "good mixer," or
(2) rather quiet and reserved?
4. Do you prefer to
(1) arrange meeting, parties, etc., well in advance, or
(2) keep your options open?
5. Would you rather be considered
(1) a practical person, or
(2) a person with vision?
6. In a large group, do you more often
(1) introduce others, or
(2) get introduced?
7. Does following a schedule
(1) appeal to you, or
(2) cramp you?
8. Do you
(1) talk easily to almost all people for as long as you
have to, or
(2) find a lot to say only to certain people or under certain
conditions?
9. When you go somewhere for the day, would you rather
(1) plan what you will do and when, or
(2) just go?
Which word in each pair appeals to you more? Think what the words mean, not
how they look or how they sound.
1 Point 2 Points
10. Thinking Feeling
11. Facts Ideas
12. Hearty Quiet
13. Convincing Touching
14. Scheduled Unplanned
15. Statement Concept
16. Analyze Sympathize
17. Systematic Spontaneous
18. Determined Devoted
19. Concrete Abstract
20. Firmminded Warmhearted
My type is:
_____ ______ ______
Adapted from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Serious, quiet, earn success by concentration and Quiet, friendly, responsible, and Succeed by perseverance, originality, and Usually have original minds and great drive for
thoroughness. Practical, orderly, matter-of-fact, logical, conscientious. Work devotedly lo meet their desire to do whatever is needed or wanted. their own ideas and purposes. In fields that
realistic, and dependable. See to it that everything is obligations. Lend stability lo any project or Put their best efforts into their work. Quietly appeal to them, they have a fine power to
well organized. Take responsibility. Make up their own group. Thorough, painstaking, accurate. Their forceful, conscientious, concerned for others. organize a job and carry it through with or
minds as to what should be accomplished and work interests are usually not technical. Can be Respected for their firm principles. Likely to without help. Skeptical, critical, independent,
toward it steadily, regardless of protests or distractions. patient with necessary details Loyal, be honored and followed for their clear determined, sometimes stubborn. Must learn
considerate, perceptive, concerned with how convictions as to how best to serve the to yield less important points in order to win
other people feel common good the most important.
Cool onlookers-quiet, reserved, observing and Retiring, quietly friendly. sensitive. kind, Full of enthusiasms and loyalties, but seldom Quiet and reserved. Especially enjoy
analyzing life with detached curiosity and unexpected modest about their abilities. Shun talk of these until they know you well. Care theoretical or scientific pursuits. Like solving
flashes of original humor. Usually interested in cause disagreements, do not force their opinions or about learning, ideas, language, and problems with logic and analysis. Usually
and effect. How and why mechanical things work, and values on others. Usually do not care to lead independent projects of their own. Tend to interested mainly in ideas, with little liking for
in organizing facts using logical principles. but are often loyal followers. Often relaxed undertake too much, then somehow get it parties or small talk. Tend to have sharply
about getting things done, because they enjoy done. Friendly, but often too absorbed in what defined interests. Need careers where some
the present moment and do not want to spoil it they are doing to be sociable. Little concerned strong interest can be used and useful.
by undue haste or exertion. with possessions or physical surroundings.
Good at on-the-spot problem solving. Do no, worry, Outgoing, easygoing, accepting, friendly, Warmly enthusiastic, high-spirited, ingenious, Quick, ingenious, good at many things.
enjoy whatever comes along. Tend to like mechanical enjoy everything and make things more fun for imaginative. Able to do almost anything that Stimulating company, alert and outspoken.
things and sports, with friends on the side Adaptable, others by their enjoyment. Like sports and interests them. Quick with a solution for any May argue for fun on either side of a question.
tolerant, generally conservative in values. Dislike long making things happen. Know what's going on difficulty and ready to help anyone with a Resourceful in solving new and challenging
explanations. Are best with real things that can be and join in eagerly. Find remembering facts problem. Often rely on their ability to improvise problems, but may neglect routine
worked, handled, taken apart, or put together. easier than mastering theories. Are best in instead of preparing in advance. Can usually assignments. Apt to turn to one new interest
situations that need sound common sense find compelling reasons for whatever they after another. Skilful in finding logical reasons
and practical ability with people as well as with want. for what they want.
things.
Practical, realistic, matter-of-fact, with a natural head Warm-hearted, talkative, Popular, Responsive and responsible. Generally feel Hearty, frank, decisive, leaders in activities
for business of mechanics. Not interested in subjects conscientious, born cooperators, active real concern for what others think or want, and Usually good in anything that requires
they see no use for, but can apply themselves when committee members. Need harmony and may try to handle things with due regard for the reasoning and intelligent talk, such as public
necessary, Like to organize and run activities. May be good at creating it. Always doing something other person's feelings. Can present a speaking Are usually well informed and enjoy
make good administrators, especially if they remember nice for someone. Work best with proposal or lead a group discussion with ease adding to their fund of knowledge. May
to consider others' feelings and points of view. encouragement and praise. Main interest is in and tact. Sociable, popular, sympathetic. sometimes appear more positive and confident
things that directly and visibly affect People's Responsive lo praise and criticism. than their experience in an area warrants.
lives.
God, help me to begin Lord, help me to be Lord help me Lord, keep me open
RELAXING more laid back, and not be a perfectionist. to others' ideas,
about little details help be to do it (Did I spell WRONG
tomorrow at 11:41.32 am exactly right! that correctly?)
though they maybe!
God, help me to not try to Lord, give me God, help me to do God, help me to
RUN everything. patience only what I can, slow
But, if you and and trust you for the rest. downandnot
need some help, I mean right Do you mind putting that rushthrough
JUST ASK! NOW! in writing? whatIdoAmen
© 1987 Ellis Harsham
E I S N T F J P
Outer directed Inner directed The 5 senses Possibilities, Objective Subjective, Like control & Want more
not realities personal structure information
Energy & Quiet Practical Logical values
excitement reality See the Big Want to get it Keep options
DESCRIPTIONS
People drain Picture Focus on the Harmony decided open
Love "people" them Status quo task
action Theoretical Sociable & Aggressive Dislike
overview friendly decision schedules
makers
Fast & Slow & quiet Hear things Jump around Brief & Talk story Discuss Informal style
talkative literally a lot concise aggressively
Internally Friendly Love to
Think out loud thoughtful Step-by-step Hear things Impersonal Quick to decide brainstorm
COMMUNICATION
figuratively terms Perhaps time
STYLE Ready, fire, Ready, ready, They don't consuming Look for Discuss
aim ready, aim, brainstorm Consider facts Pros & Cons someone to contingencies
aim much as limits blame
NEGOTIATING
TIPS
IF YOU ARE
THIS TYPE
CODE DECODE
SPEAKER LISTENER
LISTENER SPEAKER
DECODE CODE
How so?
In what way?
Humm, hum.
10. Sure. When negotiators learn about the other side's interest,
they can use that information during the negotiation. 11. That's helpful, keep going. Facilitator
14. They use these techniques to gather information from their 15. They collect the information by using these Summarization
opponent. techniques? Active Listening
16. Yes, the good communicators collect the information which is Open-ended Question
an important foundation for the negotiation. 17. How do you feel about that? Probe for Feelings
18. I think it is one of the most important things that negotiators 19. So you think communication is important, but many Summarization
do, and unfortunately, many negotiators neglect these skills. negotiators neglect it? Active Listening
20. Right. Negotiators should realize that good communication 21. Thanks. You have helped me to better understand
techniques can help them to be successful, and they should pay your views about communication. And, I hope I have
attention to, and practice good communication techniques. helped you demonstrate some of the techniques that you
have talked about.
When you reframe for yourself, you are choosing to see something in a different way or
from a different perspective. Assisting others to reframe often involves persuasion.
Tom Sawyer did not have to be a painter because he turned out to be a great reframer.
He convinced his friends that what seemed to be an unpleasant task of painting a fence
was really a fun activity worth paying to do.
REFRAMING
Negative Statement Reframed
She talks too much She's so friendly and puts everyone at
ease.
He argues so much He has such strong convictions
He is so conceited
He's so stingy
E I S N T F J P
Outer directed Inner directed The 5 senses Possibilities, not Objective Subjective, Like control & Want more
realities personal values structure information
Energy & Quiet Practical reality Logical
DESCRIPTIONS excitement See the Big Harmony Want to get it Keep options
People drain Status quo Picture Focus on the decided open
Love "people" them task Sociable &
action Theoretical friendly Aggressive Dislike schedules
overview decision makers
Fast & talkative Slow & quiet Hear things Jump around a Brief & concise Talk story Discuss Informal style
literally lot aggressively
Think out loud Internally Impersonal Friendly Love to
COMMUNICATION thoughtful Step-by-step Hear things terms Quick to decide brainstorm
STYLE Ready, fire, aim figuratively Perhaps time
Ready, ready, They don't Pros & Cons consuming Look for someone Discuss
ready, aim, aim brainstorm Consider facts to blame contingencies
much as limits
Small talk is ok Draw them out Stay in the Brainstorm Be logical & Be interested in They need Don't constrain
"here-and-now" novel ideas organized people structure them
NEGOTIATING Ask open-ended Give them time
questions to think A concern for Use metaphors Cost-benefit Start w/ points Get details before Expect last
WITH THIS TYPE history & analogies analysis of agreement closure minute changes
If impasse, Send it in
change energy writing Factual, precise Assist getting to Avoid Don't criticize They sound Help them select
& detailed action emotions them definite among options
TIPS Slow down & Be clear & More than just Stick to the Allow some Don't take it Do you have all Reduce the
listen forceful the facts issues emotions personally the facts? options available
IF YOU ARE
Warn them Once is not Peel the onion Settle easy Find out what Be brief & don't Don't speak in Assert your
THIS TYPE about you enough things first they feel repeat conclusions preferences
Same fact cuts
Get them to Smile both ways Don't overlook What are the Maybe you can't Allow others Just pick one
brainstorm details "people" have harmony some time
issues?
Introduction
The basic mediation process can be most clearly identified in its purest form by
looking at the mediation of minor disputes. Mediators of minor disputes devote their
attention to managing the mediation process and using techniques which allow the
disputants to 1) identify, clarify, and communicate the issues and interests in dispute, 2)
effectively negotiate with each other, and 3) structure a settlement that is fair and
workable from their perspectives.
Especially in minor disputes, the mediator has no way of knowing what a fair and
workable settlement would be from the disputants' perspectives. In addition, there is no
legal standard by which to judge, for example, how much noise to too much for the
neighborhood or how the children of the neighbors should relate to each other.
Because the disputants have to live with any negotiated agreement, the disputants (not
the mediator) are the people in the best position to decide what is the best, most
workable solution.
The native Hawaiian people had their own family problem solving process called
Ho'oponopono. [See, V. Shook, Ho'oponopono: Contemporary Uses of a Hawaiian
Problem-Solving Process. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press (1985).] This article,
however, focuses on the contemporary, community mediation process in Hawaii.
Formal mediation began in Hawaii in 1979 with the establishment of the Neighborhood
Justice Center (NJC) of Honolulu. The following model of mediation was developed
over more than a decade and thousands of mediations at the NJC. The mediation
model presented here has been revised and refined as a result of the experiences of
many volunteer mediators and almost countless mediator trainings.
The core process of mediation is designed around two central tasks: 1) defining
the problems, and 2) negotiating solutions. When teaching mediation in Hawaii, the
mediation process is conceptually divided into two phases referred to as the "Forum"
and the "Negotiation." Each phase is in turn divided into three stages.
The Forum includes: 1) the mediator's opening statement, 2)
the disputants' statements, and 3) private meetings called
"caucuses" with each disputant to discover all the issues and
interests important to a fair, workable solution. The
Negotiation includes: 1) a second round of private caucuses with
each disputant to define options and begin the bargaining, 2) a
joint session with all disputants to negotiate the general terms
of the agreement, and 3) a drafting session that results in a
specific, written agreement. Such a mediation process can be
diagramed as two triangles, each with three layers, as seen
below.
The Mediation Process
Phases Conceptual Model Stages
Mediator's Opening
Forum
Disputants' Statements
First Caucuses
Second Caucuses
Negotiation
Joint Session
Draft Agreement
The Forum phase, represented by the top triangle, starts with the mediator's
opening statement, then allows each disputant to tell their view of the conflict, and
finally moves to caucuses with each disputant. In the mediator's opening statement,
the mediator first convenes the meeting by discussing the voluntary, confidential, and
impartial nature of the process. In addition, the mediation process is described
generally (especially the confidential caucuses), and it is stressed that the mediator will
not issue a decision as a judge would in court. Next, in the disputants' statement stage,
each disputant is asked to make a short statement about their view of the conflict and
the other disputant is asked to not interrupt. Finally, the mediation moves into a series
of confidential caucuses with just the mediator and one of the disputants present. As
the mediator process moves to the caucus stage, the upper triangle has its widest part,
signifying the increasing amount of information that becomes available to the mediator
and the disputants as issues, positions, interest, feelings, and hidden agendas are
discussed and clarified in the caucuses.
The full development of facts and feelings in the Forum phase offers the greatest
opportunity to create in the Negotiation phase a cooperative, integrative solution - what
some people refer to as a "win-win" solution. As the mediator uses this Forum phase to
learn the history of the conflict, the disputants often focus on just the facts which
support their view of the conflict. In both joint meetings and especially in the
caucuses, the mediator probes beyond the apparent facts to learn the disputants'
underlying interests and feelings about the conflict. During the Forum, the time focus is
on the past and the present.
The basic mediation model described in this article is used in many different
types of disputes in Hawaii, including complex, multi-party construction cases in court,
bitterly contested divorce proceedings, minor neighbor-neighbor disputes, and for
playground conflicts mediated by grade school children. When the mediation is done
at the Neighborhood Justice Center, the mediators are community volunteers from a
wide variety of backgrounds and professions, who mediate without compensation. All
such mediators have gone through at least 40 hours of training using role plays and
debriefing sessions as the primary teaching techniques. Finally, at the NJC all
mediations are done with two mediators in a process called "co-mediation."
Conclusion
The process of mediation has been used for thousands of years to resolve
conflicts. In some parts of the world, mediation is considered to be the same as, or
similar to, conciliation. Whatever its name, at its core is a voluntary process used to
help two or more disputants negotiate and settle their differences. The article has
described a basic model of mediation taught to community mediators in Hawaii and
adapted to a wide variety of disputes. The people of Hawaii have made it their own
process.
By Sam Horn
http://www.womensmedia.com/new/Sam-Horn-what-to-say.shtml
Would you like to know what to say when you don't know what to say? This article
explains how you can think on your feet and communicate more constructively with
colleagues, customers, even kids. This article presents tips designed to help you
respond pro-actively to challenging individuals.
What is Tongue Fu, you ask? "It's how to handle difficult individuals without becoming
one ourselves," says Tongue Fu author and teacher Sam Horn.
With these Tongue Fu tips, we can keep people from becoming difficult in the first place
or at least not add fuel to their verbal fire by using responses that help instead of hurt.
By communicating diplomatically, people have more incentive to respond in kind.
You can hear a Sam Horn's Tongue Fu presentation at
http://www.samhorn.com/audio/
2. An effective explanation
Aaron Lazare
Guidelines
Deal or Dispute
Distributional or Integrative
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This article restates the ideas presented by Scott Van Soye in his 2-page article in ADR Times, Vol. 1 / #
1 (2011), (and has again been edited slightly by John Barkai) called “The Negotiation Dance: Five
Reasons Not to Sit Out.” Many negotiators want to speed up the “dance.” Often, you can’t; if you do try –
you will lose that magical something in the process of “dancing” and the negotiations will fail. Here are
five reasons why the parties must dance!
Negotiating price (or a settlement amount) can be a long and frustrating process, yet research has
shown that the outcome is often predictable. Professor Peter Robinson (co-director of the Strauss
Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine Law School) says that most agreements are reached at
about the midpoint between the first two reasonable offers.
Doesn’t this mean that we can skip all the bargaining rigmarole, figure out what the most reasonable
midpoint number is, offer that, stick to it as our “bottom line,” and be confident of settlement?
The short answer is an emphatic "No." The following are five reasons why.
1. To get to the midpoint, social pressure is placed on each party to share the burden of conceding.
“Without a pattern of concessions, sometimes called the “negotiation dance”, this mutual pressure is
gone.”
2. It is normal to negotiate; Negotiating is the social norm. Failing to negotiate leaves your counterpart
frustrated, angry that you are being “stubborn” or “unfair,” and doubtful that you are really at your bottom
line.” These feelings can cause your opponent to refuse even the best deal. Consequently, without the
“dance”, even the best deal may not be acceptable.
3. A “take or leave it” approach greatly limits your ability to negotiate, as well as limiting your credibility. If
your first proposal is your bottom line, and if it is not accepted – you must walk away to maintain
credibility. If you say “this is my bottom line” and then change your mind, you lose credibility and seem
weak. In one mediation, five “final offers,” ranging from $5,000 (first offer) to $225,000 (settlement
amount), were presented in four hours. Had the “final offer” tactic been saved until late in the negotiation,
it might have been believed, and the defendant could have settled for far less.
4. The pattern of the dance significantly impacts how much you recover or pay. Studies show that the
first move in a negotiation strongly influences the other party’s estimate of value. By anchoring your first
demand at a higher, but reasonable amount, the agreement ultimately agreed upon will be higher. By
making the first offer, you establish the playing field of expectations. If you start with a reasonable offer,
your counterpart will expect to do better than if you started higher.
5. “Consider the value of high aspirations and optimistic goals.” “Those with high goals routinely do
better than those with more “realistic” ones. Of course, this assumes that the demands are within the
realm of possibility. Ridiculous demands will be ignored. Professor Charles Craver (Prof. Barkai's law
school classmate) recommends determining your reservation point – the price at which you’d rather walk
away than settle – and your target price – the most you can reasonably expect to get. Then do the same
for the other side. Consider the value of similar claims, and your opponent’s resources. Pick an
aggressive, but not outrageous, number with these facts in mind.
In sum, if you refuse to “dance,” you will definitely be at a disadvantage in any negotiation and may well
needlessly anger your opponent even if you think you are acting reasonably. You must “dance” to get the
most out of the negotiation: it is that plain and simple.
Maggie, as her students know her, starts her two-week, highly sought-after Negotiation
seminar by introducing people to the cost of not negotiating—which could be years of
additional work to make the same salary as colleagues who negotiate. Unfortunately,
women suffer the most from this—which is why Maggie spends much of her time
outside of the MBA program, co-directing the Stanford GSB Executive Program for
Women Leaders.
Personally, my most interesting moment in the class came when I was assigned to
negotiate on behalf of constituents and I was able to play the mediator. It was also my
best negotiated outcome of the semester, and that’s no coincidence—as I learned,
women often do best in representative negotiations.
I recently sat down with Maggie in her Stanford office, me on a low chair in front of her
packed desk, her towering over me on a blue medicine ball. Read on for the scoop on
why women don’t ask—and what we can do to change that.
Linda Babcock did a study for her book Women Don’t Ask where she found that there
was a 7.6% difference between the salaries that women MBAs were getting and those
that men were getting. A lot had been written on the comparable work issue already and
much of the blame for the difference had been placed on organizations—basically
institutional sexism.
Linda doesn’t say that doesn’t happen, but she does ask if there is something more.
One of the questions she asked people is, “When you got your offer, did you attempt to
negotiate?” She found that about 7% of women attempted to negotiate, while 57% of
men did. Of those people who negotiated, they were able to increase their salary by
over 7%. So, you can see that if women and men negotiated in similar proportions, that
7.6% difference would be cut dramatically.
But that’s not the correct analysis, because that $7,000 is compounded. If you and your
counterpart who negotiated are treated identically by the company—you are given the
same raises and promotions—35 years later, you will have to work eight more years to
be as wealthy as your counterpart at retirement. Now, the question is: $7,000 may not
be worth the risk, but how about eight years of your life?
They don’t prepare. Oftentimes you’ll see that even when women say “I should
negotiate,” they don’t do a good job preparing by knowing how much more they want
and why. They don’t know how to tell their counterparty persuasively why they should
get what they want.
The other problem is that women have systematically lower expectations. The problem
with having systematically lower expectations is that you get systematically lower
outcomes, because expectations drive behavior. So, they get less not because they are
women, but because their expectations are lower.
There was a study done at Harvard Business School where they demonstrated, much
like Linda Babcock’s work did, that male MBAs get more. But when they equated the
knowledge that women had about the going salaries for these jobs with the men’s
knowledge, the difference disappeared. So when you equate expectations,
performance is equivalent.
Women are concerned about the reputational risks of negotiating, and they have cause
to be concerned. If I negotiate for an increase in my salary, and I have a male boss, the
research suggests that I will be penalized in a way that my male counterparts will not
be. If I have a female boss, she’s going to penalize both males and females, so it’s not
like I get any benefit for working with a woman.
Professor John Barkai --- University of Hawaii Law School - p. 65 -
One thing I would encourage women to do is to have a communal motivation for asking
for more. If I’m a man and I’m negotiating a salary, I can talk about my competencies.
What women need to do is yolk their competencies with a communal concern.
Women are not as good negotiating for themselves as men are, mostly because of
different expectations. But women outperform men in representational negotiations—
that is, negotiating for someone else. As a woman, it is unacceptable for me to be
greedy on my own, but it’s completely acceptable for me to negotiate for someone else,
because that is a caretaking thing, a communal thing. I’ve certainly had women CEOs
of moderate-size to large organizations tell me they have no problem negotiating on
behalf of their company. But asking the Board of Directors for a raise? That is hard.
So the question is: How can you, in your own mind, frame your negotiations as
representative?
Package, package, package: If you go issue by issue, you make it adversarial. And
part of the frame you want to bring is: "Here are the recourses I need to be effective."
Prepare: Use your network to get insights. Before I came to Stanford, I spent a lot of
time talking to friends of friends to understand what kind of issues were easier to get at
Stanford and which were harder in order to frame my argument.
You are as good as your other options: My first job as an academic, I didn’t negotiate
because it was the only reasonable research position I was offered. But when I was
coming to Stanford, I was happy to negotiate. I had a really great job at Kellogg, I was
The more options you have, the more in demand you are going to be. It’s just like
dating: The more competition there is for your attention, the more valuable people think
you are.
What is the last gap in a negotiation? It is the last step necessary to reach an agreement
between the negotiating parties. Often that last gap or last increment emerges after long and
exhausting negotiations which have led to agreement on all issues but one. For example, that one issue
may be - Who gets the grandfather clock? How should the last 10% of the pool of assets be
divided? How should the outstanding credit card debt be paid? How to cross the difference of $ 600
or $ 1 million in the parties' "final" offers?
Most lawyers and business people can relate horror stories with humour and/or anguish about clients
becoming stuck on the last issue of a lengthy negotiation. Some lawyers can tell how they themselves
have offered to write a cheque to cover the last gap in order to help the disputants end the drawn out
negotiations and almost invariably the disputants refuse the offer "as a matter of principle".
The most clinging form of the last dance has been described by Isolina Ricci (Ricci Mum's House, Dad's
House (1980)) as "negative intimacy.”. This occurs where one or both parties are finding meaning to life
by being a martyr, or by being in constant conflict. A settlement represents loss of meaning.
Thus the last gap will never be crossed but will be preserved. Even if the other party
concedes the last gap, the "negatively intimate" negotiator will create a new last gap -
known as an "add on."
For example, just as agreement is apparently reached: - "There's
something else I want to raise............................"
Some lawyers routinely advise clients to "open high, as it is easy to give up something; but very
difficult to take back". This homespun wisdom supposedly prepares the client to make concessions
around the last gap, as (s)he knows (at least in theory) that the initial claim has been overstated in value.
This rule of thumb is a two edged sword. It may fulfill its aim, or may in fact cause the very problem of
deadlock it is aiming to predict and avoid. For example: First, used against inexperienced negotiators or
lawyers, or against a one-off party, it may cause considerable anger for being "unreasonable" or "out of
the range". It fulfils the prophecy that he offeror is "unreasonable", "hysterical" or "greedy" and
negotiations are terminated.
A predictable pattern of stand-off, bluff, harassment, threat to use an umpire, followed by eventual
(9) Conditional offers and placating incremental fears - "What if I could convince client to...? How
would you respond?"
(10) Pause - and speak to significant others
(11) Pause - and schedule time for a specific offer
(12) Defer division of last gap; divide rest
(13) Sell last item at auction; split proceeds
(14) Pick-a-pile; you cut, I choose
(15) Skilled helper has a face -saving tantrum
(16) File a (further) court application – pursue pain and hope.
A common response at the last one million dollars; or $10,000; or at last set of paintings; or last car,
is for one or both disputants to talk - to rehash old arguments in an attempt to convince the other party to
give in. These arguments take various forms:
* "I have given up so much in these negotiations; now it's your turn".
* A lengthy filibuster re-iterating all the merits of the speaker's claims, and the
weaknesses of the agitated or glassy-eyed "listener".
* An angry speech about how the listener's first offer was outrageous, so (s)he
should make the last incremental concession "to be fair".
* A lengthy speech about the cost of litigation, the costs already incurred and the
likelihood of settlement at the door of the court.
* A detailed historical version of the concessions made to date in the negotiation
leading to the predictable conclusion that it is the listener's turn to be reasonable and make the last
concession.
* A short but angry speech with express or implied threats about walking out,
stonewalling, scorched earth, subpoenaing relatives or business associates, or advising the
Commissioner of Taxation about unpaid tax of some kind.
Nevertheless, some degree of managed speech making at the last gap may serve latent
functions of catharsis, boredom, the last dagger, further emotional pain, or attempted
justification of perceived role and fees of a skilled helper, or the farewell address. A managed last
speech may be important given the complex psychological functions which the last gap appears to
serve .
* agreeing to refer just the issue of crossing the last gap to an arbitrator. A
respected expert can be paid for two hours of his/her time to come to a binding oral or written
decision only on the last $20,000, car, Christmas Day or week of the school holidays.
In mediation, the disputants may request that a trusted mediator make a recommendation or
a binding decision on how the impasse should be resolved. Most mediators respond to such requests
with reluctance and make speeches about neutrality. However, occasionally the parties manage to
persuade the mediator to accept one or both of those roles.
In passing it should be mentioned that judging and arbitrating have many different sub-categories
which can be set out for disputants to consider. These include baseball arbitration (both parties submit a
figure to the arbitrator who can only choose one of the submitted figures); night baseball arbitration (both
parties submit secret and sealed offer; the arbitrator makes a decision and opens the sealed offers; the
offer closest to the arbitrator's decision is binding); high-low arbitration (parties agreed to the range of
outcomes; the arbitrator can only decide within that range); “night” high-low arbitration (each party
submits a sealed high-low range of outcomes; the arbitrator or valuer makes a decision which is only
binding if the decision falls within the overlap of the ranges when these are disclosed; scope
arbitration (the arbitrator is only authorized to decide upon a range of outcomes divided by say 15%;
parties agree to settle within that range); on-the-papers arbitration (a cheap and quick decision making
process where there are no oral presentations); early neutral evaluation (an expert gives a non-binding
assessment of the likely court outcome of a dispute).
For example, if the last increment is $20,000 then ten slips of paper can be placed in a
hat beginning with "$2000" and ending with "$20,000" with gaps of $2,000" written on each slip of
paper. The drawer receives whatever number is on the drawn piece of paper; the residue of the last gap
goes to the other disputant. Of course this method can be extended to a range of more complicated
alternative solutions.
Obviously, this option can be manipulated by a negotiator attempting to discover the other side's
willingness to settle for a hypothesized offer. However, the offeree's response is also clearly conditional
("if your client makes that offer....") and can be withdrawn readily. Moreover, raising any suspicion of
manipulation will usually be counter-productive at such a late stage of nearly successful negotiations.
(14) Pick-a-pile
Where the last gap consists of a number of items such as "all the furniture"; "all the stamp collection";
"all the paintings", then the parties can be offered the "pick-a-pile" option, which is well known to family
lawyers.
One party agrees to divide the chattels into two lists of approximately equal value and
submit these lists to the other party by a deadline. The other party then has a specified
time in which to choose one list as his/her share .
Like dispute resolution by chance, this pick-a-pile option is so filled with risk and tension that some
disputants quickly reject it and return to the list of remaining
options with some relief.
Various versions of this pain and hope speech have sometimes led to awkward silences, and then
positive responses to the question “Would you like to take a short break, then try for another 15 minutes
to see if this can be concluded today?”
Say NO and Still Get To YES (Power of a Positive No) William Ury
The Power of a Positive No - William Ury – 4 min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDP2Ky_ypVo
Conflict Negotiation by William Ury (co-author of Getting To Yes) TED Talk, 19 min
The Walk from No to Yes – William Ury – TED Talk 19 min
http://www.ted.com/talks/william_ury/transcript - transcript
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc6yi_FtoNo - video - 19 min (150K views)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xCkhV7zhuw -46K views
http://www.ted.com/talks/william_ury
– same video, alternative link – 1 mil views
2-min Example of Online Mediation with PC Mac and Mobile Devices - Homeowner
Contractor Dispute
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xlx5JMk4spM
Mark Walters
Instead of saying, “I’ll give you $x,” say “Would you take $x?” – you haven’t committed
to $x. (You can still go down.”
“Is that the best you can do?” – try different word emphasis.
High Performance Negotiation Skills for Women – Part 1 – Leigh Thompson – 75 min
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMWLimhNfTI
Neg Theory & Research: Gender & Race – Leigh Thompson 87min
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aHtwLEg8R4