Negotiation skill at Workplace

Negotiation, the word may sound something that can cause conflicts, annoy people and make the situation uncomfortable. But when at workplace, it something unavoidable if you have to work professionally and efficiently.

You may have to negotiate in different scenarios like work assignment, setting a deadline, project, dealing with customers, salary, increments, leaves etc.

Negotiation occurs between two parties, when there is a disagreement on certain scenario among them. Here, both the parties try to put up their points, and a successful negotiation happens when they come up with a solution which is agreed by both the parties.

To survive at the workplace, having negotiation skills is very important. In this module on negotiation skill we will be looking at different aspects and learn some of the important attributes.

What is negotiation?

Negotiation is a process where two parties communicate with each other to put across their points on an agenda to arrive at a conclusion which is in agreement with both the parties.

Negotiation is generally used to avoid conflicts between parties and come up with a neutral solution which will favor both the parties. Here, it depends on the negotiation skills of a person, how effectively he can convince people on his points and make them agree to them. But one has to be careful to avoid letting feel the other party a loser. The agreement should be such that both the parties gain something out of it.

Models of Negotiation

There are Four models of negation:

Win Win Model: Here both all the parties involved in the negotiation win something. This model is favorable to everyone and most used models.
Win Lose Model: Here one party gains, while the other party loses completely. The negotiation will only benefit one party, while the others will be at a loss.
Lose Lose Model: Here none of the negotiating parties gain anything out of the negotiation. No one is ready to agree on each others’ points and no outcome could be derived.
RADPAC Model: RADPAC denotes Rapport, Analysis, Debate, Propose, Agreement and Close. This is the most used negotiation technique in the corporate world. The negotiation is done in a structured way and closed with a meaningful conclusion, where each party is satisfied with the result.

Tips for successful negotiation

Before going for any negotiation, it is very important to prepare well about the agenda. You should know all the facts and figures about the agenda along with the details on parties involved in the negotiation.

Some tips for successful negotiation:

Never go for a negotiation without preparing. You should always try to gather as much information as possible about the topic of discussion. Be it a project, selling deal, purchasing deal or just discussion with HR on salary, research well and gain complete information on it.
Have a clear and confident approach. Decide your stand on the negotiation and stick to it. Do not diverge from your stand or have a doubt about it.
Set a realistic expectation. Do not negotiate for something which is non-achievable just for the sake of negotiating.
Carry a positive and confident attitude throughout the negotiation. Never show the other parties for desperation to win the negotiation. This will give an edge to the other parties and give them an opportunity to take the advantage of your need.
Have a control on your emotions. The deal may be very important to you and you want to win it at any cost. But never let the other parties know this from your behavior.
Show your honesty. Manipulating the facts and showing false gains, never work in the corporate world. It may give you a short-term gain by winning the negotiation, but may fall back on you in the long term.
Always set a benchmark for your negotiation. When we negotiate, we may have to compromise on certain points to come to a win-win situation. But you should have a benchmark in your mind, to set a level up to which you can compromise. You may not want to agree on something which is a complete loss to you.
Keep a watch on your communication skills. Do not use offensive language and tone to dominate other parties.
Patience is also a key to successful negotiation. Have patience and listen to what the other parties have to say. Do not interrupt anyone while they are speaking. Understand their points, evaluate them and then say something concrete to put across your points.