One of these techniques is separating the people from the problem. The way to do this is discussed in the video interview with Cyril Ramaphosa and Roelf Meyer, the chief negotiators in South Africa’s transition from apartheid to a peaceful Democracy. These negotiators came from adversarial and completely different backgrounds, histories, and strategic objectives but they were able to overcome these seemingly insurmountable obstacles by focusing on a common vision, opening lines of communication and finding common interests. When tensions became high, they were able to stay on track by using this technique and by continuously doing so, they built trust in each other. This eventually enabled them to negotiate this historic agreement.
Another negotiation technique is to use independent standards, also known as objective criteria, to solve conflicting interests. This is discussed in the video, Getting to Yes Negotiation 2nd half. Basically, it’s difficult to convince the other party it should agree to your request just because you say that’s the way it should be, but you have no real evidence to back it up. It’s much easier to get buy in for your request by using objective criteria such as statistics, industry standards, maket values, precedents, etc. This lends instant credibility to your request and shows you’ve prepared well, which also makes you a much stronger negotiator in the eyes of the other party. As the video states, independent standards can act as sword to persuade the other side or as a shield to protect yourself by explaining why or why not the proposal would be fair.
A third principled technique is negotiating for mutual benefit such that both parties come away feeling satisfied with the same aspects of the agreement. In the video, Margaret Neale: Negotiation: Getting What You Want, she talks about the importance of solving a problem in a way that gets both parties what they want. This means knowing what your alternatives are should the negotiation fail, what your reservation price is, and what your aspirations are. In other words, it’s important to know exactly what you want and why you are going into negotiations and if you want to have a mutually beneficial agreement, you should also know what the preferences and interests are of our counterparts. This preparation enables us to show the other party that our proposal will meet the objectives of both parties and therefore makes a mutually beneficial agreement more likely.
All of these techniques will help me in my entertainment business. I have a tendency to acquiesce when people get emotional so learning how to separate the people from the problem will enable me to stay focused on solving the issue at hand. Using objective criteria will have me prepare well with the fact and figures I need to make my case and negotiating for mutual benefit just seems like the proper thing to do. I don’t think I could negotiate a different outcome and feel good about it.
References:
Getting to Yes. Negotiating an agreement without giving in. Retrieved Septermber 7, 2014 from: http://6thfloor.pp.fi/fgv/gettingtoyes.pdf
Getting to Yes in Negotiation Book. Negotiating an agreement without giving in, skills by William Ury and Roger Fisher. Interview with Cyril Ramaphosa and Roelf Meyer. Retrieved Septermber 7, 2014 from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDBlFaf9rB0
Getting to Yes Negotiation 2nd half. Retrieved Septermber 7, 2014 from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOtwE3PBUlk
Margaret Neale: Negotiation: Getting What You Want. Retrieved Septermber 7, 2014 from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXFpOWDAhvM
