Effective Skills in Negotiation - Essay Example

? Negotiation Introduction The term negotiation can be defined as an effective skill or an art in which greater than two or more individuals and/or parties are agreed to mutually understand and jointly decide to make an ultimate pronouncement. This practice can often be viewed as an effective tool of making mutual agreement or decisions concerning any issue or complexity (Hall, 1993). Emphasizing the influential role along with the significance of negotiation in terms of mitigating different issues, the primary purpose of this report is to critically conceptualize the negotiation process. Moreover, the discussion of this report would focus upon analyzing integrated personal feelings towards negotiation and articulate the negotiation experience involved within Stitt Feld Handy negotiation simulations. Additionally, the discussion would incorporate revealing the most essential lessons that can be learned from the Stitt Feld Handy negotiation simulations and designing an effective negotiation skill for future implementation. Integrated Discussion Prior Understanding and Experience of Negotiation According to my perception and practical experience, negotiation is often observed as an effectual tool especially when there lay any sort of conflict or disagreement amid the parties regarding any issue or event. It can often be termed as a significant aspect which may act in different ways such as in a descriptive, narrative or in a prescriptive manner (Babcock & Lascheve, 2008). In general, the basic negotiation approach can be characterized into various types such as structural, strategic, behavioral, concession exchange and integrative negotiation approach (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, 2008). With regard to my personal experience, the primary objectives of any negotiation process generally comprise substance goals as well as relationship goals. In relation to the substance goals, the outcomes are generally identified in accordance with solving various issues or complexities. It is worth to mention that the prime intention of an effective negotiation process significantly involves three major attributes such as quality, harmony as well as efficiency that enable both the parties to supportively act with each other to mutually accomplish their respective interests. Therefore, my feeling towards the concept of negotiation is that the process is nothing but a decisive tool which can be implemented to address different sorts of conflicts or disputes that takes place amid the parties (McCuddy, n.d.). In accordance with my own experience, I had participated in negotiating few numbers of conflicts wherein the parties possesses dissimilar preferences and interests. In this regard, one of my experiences which dealt with resolving the conflict between the managers and the team members of a particular organization can be taken into concern. The conflict mainly emerged due to the happening of an accident in the production unit resulting in a labor to be physically harmed. In response, the management of the organization charged a certain amount of money to the labor because of the damage to certain valuable production related materials or components. This eventually raised the conflict between the labors and the management team of the organization by a greater degree. In this scenario, I have been witnessed to visualize an effective form of negotiation process wherein the managers and the team members of the organization are mutually agreed upon to adopt a beneficial decision. The decision has been made through balancing the interests of both the parties. My response towards this particular negotiation was to identify the actual cause which led to the conduct of such unforeseen accident. In this regard, I pointed out that the ineffective training provided by the management to its laborers ultimately caused the accident. Therefore, the negotiation procedure aimed at mutually mitigating the raised conflict between the management and the laborers through compromising their respective interests. Experience with the Stitt Feld Handy Simulation With due regard to the negotiation simulation concerning the module of “The Used Car”, the simulation demonstrated that people involved in conducting negotiations must require to know about whether they should continue with the negotiation or end the negotiation. The module has depicted an effective process proving much beneficial for the negotiated parties. In this regard, the Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) has been regarded as an efficient process for an individual party, if any party is unable to reach the ultimate goal of any negotiation agreement. According to the module, if a party is unable to reach any agreement, then the BATNA is to walk away from the negotiation process enabling the party to consider their action courses (Management Psychology Group, 2012). In order to effectively deal with the negotiation process, the individual party should highly focus on finding out the best alternative and develop it in accordance with the conflict. Moreover, accepting any deal and if it founds to be more powerful than BATNA, then the issues can be addressed effectively (Management Psychology Group, 2012). Therefore, it can be stated that the negotiation aspect in the “The Used Car” module is an easier negotiation process as it involves adequate information concerning the acceptance or walk away from the negotiation process. In the context of the “Printshop” negotiation module, a clear concept regarding positional and interest-based negotiation process can be taken into concern. According to the conception of both positional and interest-based negotiation, significant dissimilarities in terms of negotiating process of the parties over any conflict or dispute can be apparently observed. The positional negotiation significantly defines the process where the negotiator tends to begin with a position to argue why their position should be accepted. On the other hand, the negotiator within the interest-based negotiation process tends to acknowledge the interests of both the parties and attempt to formulate effective decisions complying with the interests of the parties by a considerable level (Management Psychology Group, 2012). With reference to the observation of both positional and interest-based negotiation in the Printshop module, the process generates certain difficulties due to the reason of dissimilar interests and values of the parties. For instance, if a negotiator complies with positional negotiation process, the outcome might not be satisfied or accepted by the other party and it can also cause to make significant challenges to maintain a better affiliation amid the parties. On the other hand, the interest-based negotiation can also create certain difficulties for the negotiators in terms of taking effective decisions on a stipulated time (Management Psychology Group, 2012). Most Important Lesson Learned In order to analyze the most significant lessons that I have learned from the aforesaid simulations, it can be stated that the conception of negotiation involves different complexities in order to meet the interests and also to maintain better interrelation amid the parties. Moreover, it has also been identified that listening to the arguments of the parties along with gathering appropriate data or evidence concerning any critical issue are few of the important practices of an effective negotiation process. In this regard, the negotiators must need to develop ideas by taking into concern the issues and the arguments of the parties. Understanding, Attitudes and Plans for Negotiating In The Future With reference to the negotiation simulations presented in the Stitt Feld Handy group, a clear understanding of resolving any issue or preserving better interrelation amid the parties can be viewed. The modules within the Stitt Feld Handy simulations tend to provide adequate knowledge about when an individual withdraw or accept his/her participation from a negotiation. Moreover, it can also be observed that clear understanding about the positional and interest-based negotiation along with their differences in terms of addressing any conflict play an imperative part. In this regard, it is highly essential for the negotiator to possess greater understanding in terms of justifying the arguments of the parties along with their interests. Therefore, the negotiator must need to conceive adequate information with regard to the issues and the ultimate interests of the parties prior to negotiate over any dispute or disagreement. I have planned to take part in effectively negotiating the issues wherein both the parties conceive adequate interests. In this regard, my negotiation skill would be focused on complying with an effective interest-based module. This particular module can enable me to make effective decisions complying with the interests of both the parties and maintain a better interrelation between them. Overall Evaluation of the Negotiation Module In relation to the negotiation simulations based upon Stitt Feld Handy Group, it can be affirmed that the aforesaid modules i.e. “The Used Car” and “The Printshop” play a decisive part in negotiating any sort of conflict that takes place amid the parties. In this similar concern, the significant benefits of negotiation through incorporating the aforesaid modules need to keep as well as to adapt by a greater level. On the other hand, the adverse effects of negotiation and ineffective execution of simulations integrating the above discussed modules need to be eliminated by a certain degree. Conclusion In relation to the various observations associated with global events, negotiation has been observed to play a decisive part among the parties to mutually solve various sorts of critical issues. The process can be regarded as one of the efficient tools which tends to satisfy the interests and also to comply with the preferences of both the parties in a more cooperating manner. With regard to the different modules and approaches of this study, it has been observed that negotiation is one of the mostly effective tools in terms of successfully mitigate different conflicts among the parties. The observation of the Stitt Feld Handy simulations in this study has provided adequate support to clearly understand and effectively deal with different forms of conflicts. Moreover, the explanation of the modules can enable an individual to make benevolent decisions in terms of preserving better association amid the parties. References Babcock, L. & Lascheve, S. (2008). Negotiation 101: Basic concepts. New York: Bantam Dell. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. (2008). Negotiation theory and practice. A review of the literature. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/docs/up/easypol/550/4-5_negotiation_background_paper_179en.pdf Hall, L. (1993). Negotiation: Strategies for mutual gain. California: SAGE. Management Psychology Group. (2012). The used car. Retrieved from http://www.sfhgonline.com/course/notes_view.asp?sid=4241DA0AE39B40068A9792E6C9436C3F¬es_id=6 Management Psychology Group. (2012). The Printshop. Retrieved from http://www.sfhgonline.com/course/notes_view.asp?sid=4241DA0AE39B40068A9792E6C9436C3F¬es_id=3 McCuddy, M. K. (n.d.). Organizational behavior, 8e Schermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn. Retrieved from http://www.uni-muenster.de/Politikwissenschaft/Doppeldiplom/docs/Organizational.pdf Read More