3 - Communication and negotiation Flashcards

1
Q

What do you consider to be an example of good communication?

A
  • Clear and concise
  • Easy to understand
  • If written, well structured
  • Recipient understands without ambiguity - unambiguous
  • Friendly and professional
  • Confidence
  • Respectful
  • Simple, deliver what needs to be said
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2
Q

How do you ensure that the frequency of communication is acceptable?

A
  • Devise stakeholder plan
  • Outline how I will communicate with people who have influence or interest in the project incl frequency, method and what I am reporting on
  • Seek feedback and review effectiveness, amend as applicable
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3
Q

What are the different ways you can communicate with clients?

A

Oral
* Reporting at meeting
* In person
* Over the phone
* Chairing meetings
* Presentations

Written/graphic
* Email
* Letter
* Written report
* Drawings/specs

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4
Q

When would you choose to use written communication over verbal communication or a face to face meeting?

A
  • To outline more complex/technical information so can utilise drawings, diagrams, charts
  • to create a record of the communication - permenent record
  • formalising verbal agreements
  • to allow information to be circulated to multiple parties quickly
  • uniformity
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5
Q

What barriers to effective communication have you come across?

A
  • Language barrier
  • individual perceptions
  • LACS - mental health
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6
Q

Tell me about your negotiation style…

A
  • Come prepared and confident in your reasoning.
  • Listen to other parties reasoning, let them talk, try to understand what they have to lose/gain
  • Calm, collected, respectful
  • Aim to get best deal for client while balancing collaboration and finding a resolution
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7
Q

Why is negotiation important?

A
  • Can help settle disputes through compromise or agreement
  • Create value in contracts
  • Resolve conflict
  • Help maintain and strengthen relationships/partnerships
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8
Q

What is principled negotiation?

A

Designed “to produce wise outcomes efficiently and amicably.”

Finding a deal that will benefit all parties involved

Interest based

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9
Q

What can be a barrier to negotiating effectively?

A

-Unwillingness to listen or compromise
-Impatience, bullish behaviour
-Not being prepared, lack of confidence in what you are negotiating
-Lack of understanding of the interests of the other party
-Lack of trust
-Cultural differences
-Emotions
-Emotional intelligence
-Communication problems

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10
Q

What would be a good way to facilitate negotiations in your role?

A

i.e agreeing order value, or settling final account with the contractor:
* ensuring both parties are happy
* costs agreed
* within client budget.

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11
Q

Why do you consider that discussing matters in person might be effective?

A
  • Can read and communicate via body language, facial expressions
  • People are more human in person
  • Build relationships
  • Create trust
  • Empthasis importance
  • Interpretation of tone
  • Connection and partnership
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12
Q

What are the alternatives to meeting in person?

A

Virtual meeting
Phone call
Email

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13
Q

Why can these alternatives present challenges?

What are the alternatives to meeting in person

A
  • Cameras off
  • May misinterpret tone
  • Lack of personal connection
  • Less personal/human
  • Can’t read body language or facial gestures
  • Open to misinterpretation
  • Email may be skim-read
  • Virtual: some people may be less likely to speak up. Less confidence, less trust
  • Distraction
  • Less fluidity in asking for and seeking feedback
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14
Q

Tell me about how you communicate effectively (and responsibly) using social media?

A
  • Professional and respectful
  • Do not abuse, victimise, bully
  • Act in accordance with RICS Social Media Regulation
  • Carefully think about what I post and share to ensure it is in keeping with conduct expected of a professional
  • Personally, I avoid using organisation names, or addresses, anything identifiable when sharing content relating to work
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15
Q

What do RICS set out as best practice for the use of social media?

A

Use of Social Media: Guidance for RICS Members, version 1 - Regulation Document

https://www.property-elite.co.uk/post/hot-topic-highlight-use-of-social-media-guidance-for-rics-members

file:///C:/Users/BarrC1/Downloads/use_of_social_media_guidance_for_rics_members_web.pdf

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16
Q

What RICS Guidance is this best practice (for use of social media) set out within?

A

Regulation
Use of Social Media: Guidance for RICS Members
version 1

https://www.property-elite.co.uk/post/hot-topic-highlight-use-of-social-media-guidance-for-rics-members

file:///C:/Users/BarrC1/Downloads/use_of_social_media_guidance_for_rics_members_web.pdf

17
Q

How do you use visual media to communicate with clients e.g. before and photos

A
  • Photographs to evidence site conditions, progress and completion photos, snags, defects to support a site inspection report
  • Survey report - use photos to evidence my findings to help provide graphic representation, especially where info may be more technical or complex.
  • Have used video to share with a client a property so they have better understanding of layout, condition and proposals.
  • Matrix to make reports more easy to follow and understand, and easier to read.
18
Q

Tell me about how you conduct yourself in negotiations?

A
  • Calm, collected and respectful.
  • I.e. negotiating with a contractor to agree task order value or settle a final account.
  • Come prepared
  • Listen to contractors vantage
  • Provide my stance
  • Calmly discuss to achieve a mutal agreement
  • When contractor disagrees with my stance I will refer to supporting evidence i.e. contract documents, site notes, meeting minutes, schedule of rates, to support my stance.
  • Empathetic, and ensure the contractor recognises that I appreciate their stance. Friendly
19
Q

Tell me about how you ensure good communication?

A
  • Review stakeholders and level of interest and influence to determine communication methods and frequency
  • Pre-start and progress meetings
  • Reachable
  • clear and concise
  • calm, collected, friendly, honest
  • Select communication appropriate to the scenario
  • Active listening - noding, affirming
  • Invite feedback or clarification
20
Q

Tell me about an example of when you have negotiated effectively?

A
  • Market rent voids contractor tried to claim for mini skips to each property
  • Already included in contract
  • I provided my comments ot the contractor for review but he disagreed
  • Proceeded to meet the contractor in person to discuss concerns and understand his vantage
  • Fair
  • Referred to relevent contractual docs
  • Provided alternative, correct code
  • Contractor happy as able to claim for take-up of carpets, client happy as I negotiated order value by £14k
21
Q

Tell me about an example of when you have communicated effectively?

A

Goldhawk road condition survey

  • Written report, clear and well-structured
  • use of matrix charts to help client understand condition and priority of elements identified
  • Photos provided, and referenced to help client understand elements of the document
  • Report summary, tabulated conditions, table of suggested repair schedule
  • Issued to client and encouraged them to contact me if they require any clarification or advice
22
Q

Tell me about your negotiating style?

A

If strong case for he client I would aim to get best deal, however I am to be collaborative and find an amicable, reasonable solution

23
Q

Give me an example of when you have communicated using a complex report?

A

Goldhawk road condition survey to report on condition and provide recommendations for repairs.

Ensured report was clear and concise
Well structured
Sub heading
Graphics
Matrixs
Repairs schedule
Easy to read

24
Q

Goldhawk Road - how did you present your findings clearly?

A
  • Written report
  • Included sections, well structured, including table of contents, summary, headings, tables and images
  • Easy to read
  • Performance indicator protocol for each component, and written summary and utilised in schedule of condition which was tabulated
  • Photos to refer to items mentioned in report and enhance meaning
  • Broken down my component
  • Included contact details to allow client ability to contact me for any clarification or queries relating to the report
25
Q

How did you communicate effectively with your client?

A
  • Written clear and concise report
  • Met with them virtually to provide overview of key findings
  • Filed on their database
  • Encouraged them to contact me with any queries or clarifications required
26
Q

How have you negotiated a final account?

A
  • Assessed the final account and recorded my position (in the 1st instance, dated and refering to relevent supporting docs where required) and issue to contractor for review
  • for example on one of the kitchen projects contractor tried to claim for fire doors, but photos from my survey evidenced open plan kitchens
  • My stance is usually well supported and generally contractor is in agreement as we tend to agree contract variations and costs as project progresses but if not it forms the basis of discussion with contractor
  • Reasonable, i.e suggest correct use of codes, evidence my queries regarding quantification or scope by have well recorded docs
    Aim to achieve fair and reasonable settlement.
27
Q

What is negotiation?

A

Discussions to reach a compromise or agreement. Informal or facilitated negotiation process to settle dispute

28
Q

Explain some typical negotiation techniques

A

Be prepared,what am I seeking, what am I authorised to negotiate or approve, how far am I willing to compromise, what are my/my clients red lines? Have supporting info to back my position
Is there a solution that works for both parties? win-win situation
Understand character of person I am negotiating with
Know what outcome I was to achieve and where I am willing to negotiate
Active listening to the other person, understand what they are trying to achieve, what do they need? Listen more than you talk
Understand what I am authorised to approve

29
Q

Why use negotiation over adjudication?

A

Time and cost saving/ quicker and cheaper
Done directly between parties with no 3rd party involvement
Mutual settlement
Non-binding decision/allows flexibility with sett;e,emt

30
Q

Negotiation: Discuss an example
How did you successfully achieve a resolution

A

e.g. negotiating final account/ valuation