Professional Communications and Negotiations at Samco Food Company - Case Study Example

Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Professional Communications and Negotiations Samco Food Company is launching a new product, which is a new recipe they want their customers to sample and give opinions on it. The recipe is an Ethiopian dish known as Anjera; consists of meaty stew cooked with bread and has much chili. It is cooked with many spices, which make it very tasty. The key players to be involved in this project are the company management, investors, and customers who will be sampling the new recipe. The venue for the launch will be at Marble arch hotel in New South Wales. The launch will begin at 7.00pm with speeches and explanation of the recipe to 10.00pm; the customers will be given a chance to sample the foods. Invitation cards should be made prior to an occasion (Barker and Gaut 145). The role of the chair in meetings is to ensure smooth facilitation of the process as well as peaceful coordination of the meeting. The specific powers of the chair in meetings are to remove any member behaving in an inappropriate manner from the meeting. They also have the power to call the meeting to a close or adjourn the meeting at the close of business for the day. Substantive and procedural motions are those that members come up with during the meeting and discussed in the house (Cheng and Kong 89). Point of order is brought up when a certain member wants to interrupt the proceedings and amendments are made by consensus. Voting is also done in the house on matters that may have conflicts in a bid to reach a special consensus. The minutes of a meeting help to document matters discussed as well as members in attendance (Cheng and Kong 91). The correct format of documenting a minute includes writing the members that were present beginning with the executives, members that were absent with apology, and those absent without apology. The items discussed and the deliberations that the members agreed on are then documented. The matters that came up in the course of the meeting are also documented and the time when the meeting was adjourned after the successful completion of the day’s business. A number of problem solving and decision-making techniques can be implemented in meetings including the normal group technique, brainstorming technique, and problem solving process (Dainton and Zelley 134). Participation in a meeting is ensured by urging the members to take part through giving discussions that are relevant to them. Moreover, to gain resolution in a meeting, it is important to take a vote in cases of conflict or disagreements where the majority wins. The essential steps to a good meeting are earlier preparations, ensuring that all matters in the agenda are discussed, considering every member’s opinion among all matters discussed. In preparing for a successful negotiation, an individual has to focus on five main areas. These can be outlined as being tough on the problem and lenient on the person, focusing on the needs and not positions as the second principle. Third is emphasizing common ground followed by being inventive about options. Finally, ensuring that clear agreements are made as the final principle in negotiation. It is thus important to prepare in advance of a negotiation by considering the needs of both parties as well as a possible solution that would effectively represent the needs of both. Moreover, in ensuring an effective negotiation, it is important to decide the best response to the problem at hand, as well as the best way to react to the issue. The third principle further suggests that a common ground should be emphasized by evaluating the available options and coming up with clear agreement that suit both parties in question (Du 56). Giving affirmation to people is described as the positive compliments offered to persons to help them build their self-confidence as well as help them determine how much they mean to you. The process of giving affirmations can be described as ensuring that one has a clear vision of the person, ensuring the affirmation is brief, giving it in the present tense and repeating it often. Skills that show that we are listening to other people with empathy include looking them in the eye, nodding our head from time to time, and using hand gestures to touch them and showing that we care. Verbal responses normally invoke certain responses from us. These may include physical reactions, facial changes, as well as changes in general body language (Goldman and Shapiro 98). In resolving conflicts, it is important to be in control of our emotions to solve differences amicably. Seven basic emotions are related to the organ functions and parts of the body: anger, joy, worry, fear, shock, and sadness. These emotions are felt in different parts of the body including the mind, heart, and liver. Emotions affect conflict and the outcome as well as progress of it in a number of different ways. Emotions tend to blind the people in conflict so that their judgment is impaired. Emotions like worry or fear of losing something can make individuals engaging in a negotiation process lose their objectivity. Different people deal with as well as express their emotions differently. Some express their emotions through fighting, lashing out or even crying when they are extremely angry (Goldman and Shapiro 99). Some people express their happy emotions by screaming, crying, or just keeping quiet. Negotiation involves the methods by which people settle their differences through peacefully talking through their issues and reaching a common ground where they agree. Sometimes negotiation may involve reaching a compromise to avoid arguments that may arise. Negotiation thus involves the principle of fairness, seeking mutual benefit, and maintaining relationships that are key to a successful outcome. Recently, I was involved in the negotiation for the purchase of my laptop. This situation involved the seller and I to compromise and finally agree on what was favorable to both of us (Spangle and Isenhart 124). A win-win situation in a negotiation process is achieved when both the sides feel like they have been able to gain something positive and that their point of view has been considered. This is the best outcome in a negotiation and comprises of positive alternatives which have the ability to achieve greater benefit for all the concerned. In a negotiation, it is important to be clear on the goal. This involves listing the interests and viewpoints of both parties and then establishing a common ground that will help negotiate a win-win outcome. Some skills would be necessary to educate both parties about the needs and outcomes. These may include having the right attitude, utilizing interpersonal skills, and having the necessary knowledge to negotiate (Spangle and Isenhart 125). The right attitude helps ensure that the negotiation process is not taken as an arena for realizing individual achievements whereas the right interpersonal skills and knowledge help ensure the process is effective even in formal settings. The issues to focus on during negotiations to capture the interest of both parties include interests and goals of the individuals. Works Cited Barker, Larry and Deborah Gaut. Communication. Needham Heights, MA: Pearson Professional Education, 2002. Print Cheng, Winnie, and Kenneth Kong. Professional communication: Collaboration between academics and practitioners. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2009. Print Dainton, Marianne & Elaine Zelley. Applying communication theory for professional life: A practical introduction. Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE Publications, 2005. Print Du, Neeltjie. Professional communication for business: Fresh perspectives. Cape Town: Pearson Prentice Hall / Pearson Education SA, 2010. Print Goldman, Barry, and Debra Shapiro. The psychology of negotiations in the 21st century workplace: New challenges and new solutions. New York: Routledge, 2012. Print Spangle, Michael and Myra Isenhart. Negotiation: Communication for diverse settings. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2003. Print Read More