Many people think of negotiation as a
formal process, but negotiation actually takes place every day. Task-oriented
conversations, for example, are usually a form of negotiation. Regardless of
whether your negotiation is formal or informal, people will generally make the
same types of mistakes. These mistakes arise from inherent human
characteristics and are usually adverse to everyone’s interests.
Below are the five most common
negotiation mistakes that I have seen over the years that I have been training
and consulting in this field.
“Me
vs. You”
Humans assume that they must fight over
assets to acquire them, and that mentality applies in negotiations as well.
This type of thinking turns negotiations into a competition. Competitive
negotiation assumes that each side is trying to defeat the other party and gain
the most for themselves. This mentality leads to inefficiencies and harms
professional relationships.
Bad
Faith
You should never negotiate in bad faith.
The rationale for this concept is not based on religious beliefs or karma;
instead, you should negotiate in good faith because negotiating in bad faith
will eventually cause you to remove yourself from the situation
as reality will serve as a mirror reflecting your unethical behavior. On top of
that, your reputation will precede you and ruin any attempts at negotiation.
Engaging
in One-Dimensional Negotiations
When you are only focused on one item in
the negotiation, you are stuck in one-dimensional negotiation. Negotiating on
one item – usually money - is likely to cause dead ends or extensive
compromises. One-dimensional negotiation often indicates that the negotiation
is still on a positional-competitive level instead of an interest-cooperative
level.
Instead, you should increase the number
of factors on the able by engaging in multi-dimensional negotiations. This type
of negotiation requires that you ask the Why question: Why does each party want
a particular item or outcome? When used properly, this question opens doors to
effective negotiations.
Sticking
to Your Guns
If all of your needs, interests, and
constraint were addressed in the negotiation, but they are addressed in a way
that you had not envisioned, does that mean you compromised? I am disappointed
in the number of people in my workshops that would answer yes. They assume that
any change in their position is a compromise. Being flexible does not always
mean that you compromised. Being able to ask the Why question, you open the
door to a better articulation of your own point of view, enabling you to define
your point of view in a way that enables collaborative solutions.
Failing
to Properly Prepare
Perhaps the most obvious mistake is
failing to properly prepare for the negotiation. Engage in “dress rehearsals”
to mentally prepare for the negotiation. Although this may be seem useless
because the practice is not “real,” this extra preparation is crucial! When you
confront the other side for real, it'll be the second time you've negotiated
with hi… this extra first time would make a world of a difference.
The number of mistakes that people make
in negotiations is much larger than five. However, being aware of how to
negotiate, being properly trained, and avoiding the above mistakes will
significantly improve your negotiation abilities in the future.
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