Communication and Negotiation Flashcards
1.How would you prepare for a negotiation?
- Understand why the negotiation was taking place.
- Clarify the impact e.g. the importance of the relationship vs the outcome.
- Define what is negotiable and what is not.
- Define a ‘win-win’ and fall back positions.
- Understand or estimate the other parities ‘win-win’ and fall back positions.
- Identify areas of common ground.
- Prepare evidence and rationale to support my case.
- What is a ‘win-win’ situation?
- When the agreement reached cannot be improved further by any discussions.
- Outcome cannot be improved for your benefit, and similarly, the agreement for the other party cannot be improved further for their benefit either.
- There is no value left on the table and all creative options have been thoroughly explored and exploited.
- What is a fall back bargaining?
Under fallback bargaining, bargainers begin by indicating their preference rankings over alternatives. They then fall back, in lockstep, to less and less preferred alternatives – starting with first choices, then adding second choices, and so on – until an alternative is found on which all bargainers agree.
- How would you conduct a negotiation?
- Rehearse my opening – ask the opening question to control negotiation.
- Convey confident, congruent communication – match body language and terms used, maintain eye contact.
- Manage expectations – Trade at low value, do not give a concession without trading it with reluctance.
- Be respectful but persistent – Assess offers on the spot and be courteous.
- Questioning – Ask open and closed questions to exert control
- What is a dashboard?
A one-page, high level summary report issued weekly or fortnightly that details key issues using a red, amber and green traffic light system.
* Programme.
* Cost (including changes).
* Quality.
* Risks.
* Actions required.
* Future events (short term).
- What Stages of a construction project might involve negotiations?
- Tendering and procurement.
- Agreeing Variations.
- Agreeing Final Accounts.
- Extensions Of Time.
- Payment Terms.
- Loss and Expense.
- Basically anything that will make an adjustment to the contract sum.
- Do you know of any theory on negotiation
The Thomas and Kilman approach:
To take a more people approach to disputes, with 5 types of responses:
- Compete whereby you pursue your own interests.
- Accommodate whereby you satisfy the other parties interests.
- Avoid whereby you try to avoid the conflict all together.
- Collaborate whereby you reach and agreement to satisfy both parties.
- Compromise whereby you reach a mutually agreeable solution for both parties.
- What is working ‘open book’?
- A transparent process that encourages all stakeholders to work in a collaborative manner, as all the costs are seen by the client.
- What needs to be included within a Loss and Expense claim with regards to the information provided?
- The main events that are relevant to the Loss and Expense and how they affected the works. This should be listed in chronological order.
- Cross Reference the claim with the appropriate clause in the contract.
- What are considered to be the four stages of negotiation?
- Preparation.
- Exchange.
- Bargain.
- Agreement/Implementation.
- What is the purpose of maintaining good records?
- To ensure that if a disagreement arises between two parties, evidence for your side of the argument can be provided.
Can you please define what communication is?
The imparting or exchange of information by speaking, writing or using some other medium.
What are your views on email communication?
need to take great care when sending emails.
it is easy to release sensitive information to incorrect parties
always take care to double check the recipients prior to issue
even though emails appear less formal than written letters they can still have the ability to create contracts and form written instructions.
what is a negotiation?
discussions which are held to reach a compromise or agreement
parties through an informal or facilitated negotiation process to settle a dispute
concessions and non-negotiable items of each party are discussed.
negotiations can be finalised either in line by line detail or at a high level.
What would you do following a negotiation meeting whether a verbal agreement was made?
formalise the verbal agreement asap
through written communication setting out what was discussed and agreed at the meeting
within the written communication i would request that the other party confirm agreement by written reply
if confirmation was not received i would follow up with a verbal call reminding them to confirm back in writing
