Conflict Management-Negotiation Skills

Conflict Management-Negotiation Skills

Effective negotiation is an essential skill that rests on the five fundamental principles
of:
• Being hard on the problem and soft on the person
• Focusing on needs, not positions
• Emphasizing common ground
• Being inventive about options
• Making clear agreements

Managing persons must consider not only their needs but also those of others. They should
consider outcomes that would address more of what both the contending parties want.
They should commit themselves to a win-win approach, even if tactics used by the
other person seem unfair. They should be clear that their task would be to steer the
negotiation in a positive direction.

To do so you may need to do some of the following:

• Reframe: Ask a question to reframe the same. (e.g. “If we succeed in resolving
this problem, what differences would you notice?” Request them to repeat to
check what they understood. (“Please tell me what you heard me/ them saying.”)
Request something s/he said to be re-stated more positively, or as an “I”
statement. Re-interpret an attack on the person as an attack on the issue.
• Respond but do not react:
• Manage your emotions.
• Let some accusations, attacks, threats or ultimatums pass.
• Make it possible for the other party to back down without feeling
humiliated (e.g. by identifying changed circumstances which could justify
a changed position on the issue.)

· Re-focus on the issue: Maintain the relationship and try to resolve the issue.
(e.g. “What’s fair for both of us?” Summarise how far you’ve got. Review common
ground and agreement so far. Focus on being partners solving the problem, not
opponents. Divide the issue into parts. Address a less difficult aspect when
stuck. Explore best and worst alternatives to negotiating an acceptable agreement between you.

· Identify unfair tactics: Name the behavior as a tactic. Address the motive for
using the tactic. Change the physical circumstances. Have a break. Change
locations, seating arrangements etc. Go into smaller groups. Meet privately.
Call for meeting to end now and resume later, perhaps “to give an opportunity
for reflection”.