Communication and Negotiation Flashcards
Please can you define what communication is?
The imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium.
What are the different ways you communicate with your team?
Oral communication:
Phone calls.
Client and staff presentations.
Contractor interviews.
Listening skills.
Written/Graphical communication:
Letters, memos and emails.
Written reports.
Compiling tender and contract documents.
How to tailor information to your audience
- Information needs to be targeted and displayed to suit the audience
- Decide – length, style, layout of communication, formality, record keeping
- You can follow up a phone call with an email (to have it as evidence)
What stages of a construction project may involve negotiation?
- Tendering and procurement
- Agreeing variations
- Agreeing final accounts
- Extensions of time
- Payment terms
- Loss and expense
What are the four stages of negotiation?
- Preparation
- Exchange
- Bargain
- Agreement
What are the types of Negotiation?
- Competitive - make an offer that is very low, usually much less than they would in fact accept. Tactic is simple - raise your offers gradually
- Principled – focus on the issues rather than the people and insist on an objective criteria.
How to preparing for a negotiation?
To what level I’m authorised to negotiate - e.g. up to £250k
My and my clients red lines.
Do I have sufficient facts and information
The character of the person I’m negotiating with
What I want the outcome to be?
Areas where I’m willing to compromise the structure of the negotiation?
What is a ‘win-win’?
- When the agreement reached cannot be improved by further discussions
- Outcome cannot be improved for your benefit, and for the opposite party
How to conducting a negotiation?
- Rehearsing the opening – control
- Convey information confidently – body language, eye contract
- Manage expectations – trade at low value, do not give a concession before trading
- Be respectful but persistent – assess offers on the spot
- Questioning – ask open and closed questions to exert control
What is the theory on negotiation; Thomas and Kilman approach
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 a negotiation?
Discussions to reach compromise or agreement
Parties through an informal, facilitated negotiation process, agreed to settle the dispute either at high level or in detail.
What is a ‘without prejudice’ offer?
In general, a party’s admission to something can be used against them in court.
The without prejudice rule means that the statements which are made in a genuine attempt to settle a dispute cannot be used in court as evidence of the admissions against the party that made them.
What is a tender interview
Tenderers invited to run through their tender and raise and queries and discuss the project
What should be included in a preliminary calculation?
Management and staff
Site establishment.
Temporary services
Security
Safety and environmental protection Insurances.
What methods of communication are there?
Oral communication:
Phone calls.
Reporting at meetings.
Facilitating/chairing meetings.
Contractor interviews.
Written communication:
Letters, memos and emails.
Written reports.
Compiling tender and contract documents.
