Negotiating Effectively

Negotiating Effectively

According the Group Communication Book, the act of negotiating can occur between two businesses or more as well as within a single organization and the most common form of negotiation is compromise.

Negotiations within an organization can include:

Negotiating working hours. (If I work the night shifts this weekend, could I have next weekend off)

Negotiating vacation time. (If I give up some of my sick days, could have more vacation time?)

Trading off responsibilities. (If you get the boss coffee today, I’ll do your paperwork)

Most often than not, comprising while negotiating is the goal that most people want to achieve. However, you cannot always expect a compromise to take place because what you negotiate has to be appropriate. What this means is you have to be realistic in your comprise. For example, if you fully believe that you deserve a raise, then try to negotiate with your boss till you reach a compromise. That is an appropriate situation. In an inappropriate situation would be one in which you are asking more for less.  For example: I want a raise even though I never show up to work to work on time. This is an unrealistic goal and could even sway your boss to fire you.

Another alternative to compromising is brainstorming.  The process of brainstorming involves formulating alternate ideas that would appeal to both you and your boss. For example: You could say to your boss, “I didn’t take any sick days last year and I was wondering if I could use some of those days for vacation time this year.” You could include in your compromise that you are ahead on your charts and have been working overtime as well. If the boss says, “you can have an extra two days this year of work off,” it’s best to close the deal or suggest a new negotiation.  It is never a good idea to test your boss so “suggesting alternate solutions is often an effective negotiation strategy” (O’Hair/O’ Weimann)

The 5 Key Strategies for Negotiating

1)   Always listen to the person you are negotiating with. In order to present them an effective argument you must know their argument and reasons as well.

2)   Understand the other person’s feelings and belief.

3)   Ask questions about the other person’s argument. Who, What, When, Where, Why.

4)   Be opened minded. If you come into the negotiating without settling for less than what you are asking, you are likely to not reach a compromise.

5)   Be calm and rational. Do not lose your temper.