Communication & Negotiation Flashcards
Give some examples of effective written/oral communication
- Emails, well structured
- Reports, well structured (contents, exec summary, financial summary, graphical analyses, detail)
- Infographics
- Graphical analyses
- PowerPoints with short/punchy slides, talk around them. Hand detailed notes out at the end.
- Be informative but concise
What would you include in a Cost Report?
- Contents
- Exec Summary
- Project Financial Summary
- EAIs
- AEAIs
- Early Warnings
- PSUMs
- VE
- Cash flow
How would you deliver a Cost Report to a client?
Email report, follow it up with a phone call or meeting to run through it
What would you include in a Tender Report?
- Contents
- Exec Summary
- Introduction
- Tender Evaluation Criteria
- Results
- Conclusion
Appendix
- Tender Returns
- Normalisation
- Scoring Matrix for each return
When might you include graphical illustrations?
To compare benchmark data
To show how the project costs are split across the elements
What information were you presenting on your project in Brighton?
Project cost summary split by phases as well as split by functions.
Why did you use a pie chart to show how the money was being spent?
I felt it was the most intuitive way of demonstrating it: the whole circle = cost of project, each segment = portion of cost
Could have used one long bar
What were the outstanding items “of contention” in your Dulwich project?
When I wrote contention I meant that we had not agreed them
He requested money, not all were valid
For example, a different box to hold the projectors in (because the first didn’t allow signal to pass through) was design development. Operational projectors was always part of the scope.
However extra scope - decoration of an extra room - was valid
Why were they not already agreed?
We did have a rolling final account
However, late submissions for variations left some outstanding at the time of Final Account negotiation
What are the principles of effective negotiation?
Preparation is key
Prepare evidence and rationale to support my case.
Define what is negotiable and what is not.
Identify areas of common ground.
Tools: Position power. Expertise or knowledge. Charisma. Having alternative solutions prepares. Using past events as precedence.
What is a win-win negotiation?
Exploring your position & opposite numbers position to find a mutually acceptable outcome that gives you both as much of what you want as possible
How would you negotiate a win-win?
- Separate people from the problem
- Understand both sides objectives
- Focus on interests, not positions
- Invent options for mutual gain
- Use objective criteria
Why would you want to negotiate a win win?
- Good for future relations
- Ethical?
Give an example of a negotiation you have been in and what your objectives were?
Dulwich
- To agree Final Account
- To stand strong on variations I rejected
- To maintain good relationship with contractor
How do you communicate bad news such as the news that a tenderer has been unsuccessful?
Write formal email
Ensure it will not affect future tenders, leave on good note
