Negotiating with Difficult People Flashcards
Strategy #1: Stick to your Principles
Fortitude. This is what you need during difficult negotiations. There’s no doubt you’re in a tough situation. However, you can make it through and do it well. Stick to what you know. Focus on interests versus positions, keep personal attacks out of the conversation, listen to others, and stay calm. When you follow your negotiation principles it’s not uncommon for others to follow. Think of it as an opportunity to display your leadership skills and impress others. You may be surprised at the effect your actions and values can have on the group and the entire process.
Strategy #2: Don’t Attack
When you’re dealing with individuals who are making negotiations difficult, it’s hard not to overreact. Yet this is exactly what you want to do. People’s behavior is influenced by a variety of factors, and sometimes the negotiation process itself can be overwhelming. Even if you believe the other side is being unfair, not presenting the facts in the right way, or perhaps just being stubborn, the key is to stay calm, and as the saying goes don’t feed the fire. Sometimes one levelheaded individual is enough to bring the situation back to a rationale place. Avoid attacking back, criticizing individuals, as well as making sure you stick to known facts. When you can, get mutual agreement to standards or factual information. Continue to find places to agree which can help alleviate some of the stress before tackling more difficult topics.
Strategy #3: Get Help
Sometimes we just need help. No matter how good we may be, the other side is not going to make things easy. At this point a third party can often provide the help and insight required to move the other group along. In this situation, the third party acts as a facilitator to uncover each group’s interests and leads the discussion to identify potential solutions and agreements.
