ART OF NEGOTIATION
- Knowledge
- 10th August 2020
Negotiation is an art form that may come in an innate way in some, while others need to learn and adopt the successful negotiating skills. The term negotiation can be understood as a discussion or series of communications aimed at reaching an agreement. Effective negotiation requires strategy, presentation and patience. It is an essential skill that adolescents might need in their career prospect so that in times of crisis, they are able to bargain with associates despite different viewpoints and are able to attain a favourable solution with a common ground for everyone.
The art of negotiation comes into play in every sphere of life and in every position, be it at workspace, community or at home. Like any other skill, the art of negotiation can be learnt, improved and mastered. It is a process of communication where individuals with different point of views contribute by making suggestions and counter-suggestions, and employ different tactics in an effort to reach maximum results. Learning the art of negotiation requires one to learn about strategies and tactics that one can employ to convince the other party to convert the situation into a win-win one by avoiding arguments and conflict in attitude. In order to successfully win a negotiation, one needs to give a structure to it by developing a framework to be used as a navigation tool to prepare, present, justify, bargain, provide offers and counter-offers and then reach a mutual agreement.
Individuals can consciously work on improving their negotiation skills and master them by keeping in mind to be fair, maintain relationships and seek mutual benefits in order to achieve best possible results. To get clear about the goals of the act of negotiation, one needs to prepare in advance and also have an alternative plan, in case the initial plan does not work out. One should always expect the unexpected so as not to be taken aback and be able to persistently pursue something that is worth negotiating for. Rehearsing the act of negotiation will reduce the scope for mistakes and bring a clarity of thought process to assess the kind of questions that may come his/her way. It will also bring about a clarity in communicational skills because negotiation builds motivation and confidence in an individual increasing chances of a successful result.
Negotiation may also involve certain level of compromising that calls for finding an intermediate point between two conflicting positions. It is also beneficial to engage in creative thinking to find for convenient options as solutions that involves shared interests and mutual gain. While negotiating, one needs to focus on the win-win aspect of the situation where working for both the concerned parties is vital. One needs to embody their inner adult by understanding the objective of negotiation rather than indulging in an argument. The overall excellence in the art of negotiation can achieved by improving other skills that are drawn from a diverse range of disciplines such as strategizing, planning, communication, listening, persuasion, patience, teamwork etc. Working on these skills can bring effective development in negotiating skills.
The importance of negotiating skills cannot be overstated. However, it is important to realize that negotiation should be approached as a compromise and not with a competitive attitude. The end result of negotiation should leave everybody well contented. Mastering the art of negotiation will help students in taking charge of a situation and it will enable them to resolve conflicts.