Planning and Preparation for Effective Negotiation

Planning and Preparation for Effective Negotiation

1. Negotiations take place in a wide array of forms

2. Negotiations take place in a wide array of forms whether to resolve a dispute, get a better deal, or find new solutions

3. negotiation is a dynamic communication process where new information, concerns, emo- tions, and goals may arise, negotiator

4. planning and preparation both before and during the negotiation process, including guidelines for assessing the negotiation situation, analyzing the negotiation structure, planning for strategies that facilitate goal attainment, and re-orienting to manage contingencies that may arise during the dynamic, interactive negotiation process

5. Analyze the negotiation context: Opportunities and constraints

   • Negotiations do not take place in a vacuum. The historical, eco- nomical, legal, and socio-cultural contexts all determine the codes of conduct that shape negotiators’ perception of what is permitted or not permitted, expected or not expected
   • A sufficient understanding of the bargaining situation allows the negotiators to identify the rules of the game, resources to draw upon, norms to abide by, as well as constraints to deal with.
   • negotiations, therefore, involves an analysis of the relationship between business interests and ideologies. Negotiators can manage to find an interest-based resolution by totally ignoring ideological differences,
   • Assess external constraints: Is time an issue? Negotiations are often associated with some time-related costs.

6. Analyze the negotiation structure and components

   • Diagnosis of the negotiation context should be complemented with a careful analysis of the structure of the negotiation, includ- ing who are the involved parties
   • Define the issues. The number of issues each party brings into the negotiation tends to have a strong influence on the strategies negotiators choose. Single-issue negotiations, also referred to as zero-sum, distributive negotiations, generally entail a competitive, win-lose approach

7. Conclusion: Planning and Preparation as an Ongoing Process

   • Although most planning and preparation takes place prior to the negotiation, they should be considered as an ongoing process that continues throughout the negotiation
   • Due to various con- straints, negotiators may not be able to gather sufficient information about the other party before the negotiation; even if they think they do

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