Planning negotiations
Planning of negotiations is preparatory phase, during which all parties select and define their positions and strategies. The preparation should be to focus attention on five areas:
- subject of negotiations
- climate between parties
- balance of power
- stakeholders and their goals
- operating procedures
Key steps of planning negotiations
Diagnosis and preparation
- selection of the negotiating team,
- information gathering
- goal analysis
- determination of maximum and minimum requirements
- analysis of the potential difficulties and benefits
- analysis of potential argument
- choice of strategy
- choice of negotiation style
- prediction of difficulties and ways to overcoming them
- analysis of potential traps
- defining of conditions for success
- analysis of territorial and spatial location of the negotiators (own territory, partner, neutral)
- selecting time of the negotiations
- analysis of cultural conditions (understanding cultural differences, customs, traditions, national mentality).
Goal selection
Determination of the desired result. The more goals you set yourself at the preparation stage, the easier it is to negotiate.
Preparation of procedures
The most important tactical and strategic elements of negotiation preparation are:
- developing options for maintaining flexibility
- prepare a set of early tactical moves
- formulation of overall strategic plan.
Before negotiations manager should answer following questions:
- Why start negotiations and what they relate to?
- Who will be our opponent? What style of negotiation he uses?
- What kind of deals we intend to have after negotiation?
- To what level are we willing to make concessions?
- Where we are going to negotiate and in what place? (our territory or the opposite side).
- How long do we intend to carry on a negotiations? How much time can we spend?
Good results in the negotiations are achieved primarily thanks to good preparation. If one of the parties negotiating is better prepared it achieves more.
Preparation for negotiation is a process involving several important elements:
- analysis of the own interests and interest of other party,
- analysis of alternatives; what you will do if negotiations are not completed successfully,
- defining negotiation issues; conversation subject; in which cases you want to take a joint decision
- development of objective criteria for assessing each of these issues
- preparation of proposals to solve the problem, including the initial offer submitted to the other side.
Advantages of Planning negotiations
Planning negotiations can provide a variety of advantages to the involved parties. It allows them to prepare and anticipate issues, create strategies to achieve their goals, and build relationships with the other parties involved. Here are five advantages of planning negotiations:
- It allows parties to prepare and anticipate issues. Planning negotiations can be used to identify and analyze the issues which need to be discussed, thus ensuring that all parties are aware of them before the actual negotiation process begins.
- It allows parties to create strategies to achieve their goals. Planning negotiations can help parties develop strategies to reach their desired outcomes. For example, parties can develop strategies to negotiate a better price or to find more favourable terms.
- It facilitates the building of relationships with the other parties. When parties plan their negotiations, they are able to get to know each other better, which can help build trust and understanding. This can help create a more collaborative atmosphere during the actual negotiation process.
- It allows parties to allocate resources. Planning negotiations can help parties identify which resources are needed to reach the desired outcome. This can help them ensure that all parties have the resources necessary to reach an agreement.
- It allows parties to manage expectations. Planning negotiations can help parties better understand the expectations of the other parties involved, which can help them manage the expectations of their own party more effectively.
Limitations of Planning negotiations
- Planning negotiations can be a useful tool for optimizing the outcome of a negotiation, however, it has its limitations.
- Firstly, the parties in a negotiation may not be able to anticipate all aspects of the negotiation, and therefore may not be able to plan for them.
- Secondly, the plans may become outdated if the circumstances of the negotiation change.
- Thirdly, negotiation plans can be too rigid and may not be able to account for real-time changes in the negotiation.
- Fourthly, planning negotiations can be time consuming and may limit the parties’ ability to negotiate in a timely manner.
- Finally, planning negotiations can be costly and may not be feasible for all parties involved.
A successful negotiation requires proper planning and preparation. Here are five other approaches that can help with successful planning of negotiations:
- Establish the objectives: Identify what each side wants to achieve and establish a common understanding of the overall objectives.
- Analyze the situation: Assess the interests of all parties involved and identify any potential sources of conflict.
- Develop tactics: Determine the best strategies and tactics to reach the desired outcomes.
- Set up a timeline: Create a timeline for the negotiation process and set deadlines for each step.
- Prepare for contingencies: Anticipate potential obstacles and develop strategies to address them.
In conclusion, planning and preparation can help ensure that negotiations are successful. By taking the time to consider the interests of all parties involved, establish objectives, develop strategies, set a timeline, and prepare for contingencies, parties can ensure that the negotiation process is smooth and effective.
| Planning negotiations — recommended articles |
| Styles of handling conflict — Structure of enterprise planning system — Stakeholder management plan — Stakeholders analysis in project management — Project cycle management — Planning and decision making — Strategic planning — Organization of managerial work — Result orientation |
References
- Forester, J. (1987). Planning in the face of conflict: Negotiation and mediation strategies in local land use regulation. Journal of the American Planning Association, 53(3), 303-314.
- Kristensen, H., & Gärling, T. (1997). The effects of anchor points and reference points on negotiation process and outcome. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 71(1), 85-94.
- Monteserin, A., & Amandi, A. (2011). Argumentation-based negotiation planning for autonomous agents. Decision Support Systems, 51(3), 532-548.
- Smith, M. L. (1992). Planning your negotiation. Journal of Management in Engineering, 8(3), 254-260.
