Communication and Negotiation

Question 1

What skills do you need to communicate effectively?

Answer 1

• Ability to listen to others
• Ability to convey your thoughts and messages clearly in non ambiguous language
• Confidence
• Good grasp of language

Question 2

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

Answer 2

To ensure the frequency of communication is acceptable I avoid sending out irrelevant or unnecessary information. I also choose the most appropriate form of communication, for example a phone call might suffice rather than filling up peoples email inbox.

Question 3

What are the different ways you can communicate with clients?

Answer 3

• Verbal, either through phone calls, video calls or in person meetings.
• Written, through written reports or emails.
• Visual, through presentation of ideas through images or drawings

Question 4

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

Answer 4

I would choose to use written communication over verbal if I needed a record of what I was communicating, for example an email will have a date and time stamp and can be saved, or if the message is non-urgent and I am prepared to wait for a response.

Question 5

What barriers to effective communication have you come across?

Answer 5

I have experienced communication sent out that has not been copied to the wider design team, for example the client might have sent an email to myself and the architect but not the structural engineer. This led to key team members missing important decisions and messages.

Question 6

Tell me about your negotiating style.

Answer 6

I usually approach any negotiation with a collaborative attitude, I am aiming to secure a win-win for both my client and the other party. I focus on problem solving to reach an agreeable outcome rather than trying to compete and trying to win the situation, which may have more negative effects than positive.

Question 7

Why is negotiation important?

Answer 7

Negotiation is important as it provides an opportunity for parties to discuss a situation and agree an acceptable outcome. It can prevent a conflict from escalating further and if resolved can avoid costly litigation costs.

Question 8

What is principled negotiation?

Answer 8

Principled negotiation is an interest-based approach to negotiation that focusses primarily on conflict management and conflict resolution.

1. Separate the people from the problem.
2. Focus on interests, not positions.
3. Invent options for mutual gain.
4. Insist on using objective criteria.

Question 9

What can be a barrier to negotiating effectively?

Answer 9

Personality - people trying to win the negotiation

Blame - if there is a history to the issue

Negativity - If you don’t believe there will be an outcome

Question 10

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

Answer 10

Depending on the negotiation topic, I would arrange a face-to-face meeting to discuss the issue between the parties.

I would ensure both parties considered their requirements before the meeting and prepared all evidence and documents required to ensure the meeting would run smoothly.

I would ensure that the negotiation discussions were formally recorded and issued to both parties.

Question 11

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

Answer 11

Discussing in person allows for instant communication between parties. It also allows for non-verbal cues and body language to be picked up which can aid clear communication. It can also help to build or repair relationships.

Question 12

What are the alternatives to in person communication?

Answer 12

Video / conference calls or email.

Question 13

Why can non in-person alternatives present challenges?

Answer 13

Communication is slower, written communication can be easily misconstrued as context, mannerisms and meaning can be lost.

Question 14

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

Answer 14

Although I don’t post a great deal on my person social media, I ensure that all posts I either post or like / share are appropriate and do not breach either the websites guidelines, and would not give a negative perception of myself, my company or my profession.

Question 15

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

Answer 15

RICS regulation paper - use of social media - Social media has many benefits to businesses, such as:

Networking

Information sharing

Business generation

Marketing and advertising

Raising awareness

Reaching a wider audience

Gaining reviews and recommendations

RICS can investigate and discipline members in serious cases.

Question 16

How do you use visual media to communicate with clients, e.g. before & after photographs?

Answer 16

I use an array of photographs when I produce progress reports on my construction projects for my clients who don’t visit the site often. These are included in the PDF and sent separately as JPEG files so they can store the pictures separately.

Also - drawings.