Negotiation Chapter 12 : Best practices in Negotiations

This chapter reflect on negotiation at broad level by providing 10 “best practices” for negotiators who which to continue to improve their negotiation skills. Ten best practices for negotiators are as follow:
1.Be prepared: Good preparation means setting aspirations for negotiation that are high but achievable
2.Diagnose the fundamental structure of the negotiation: a distributive negotiation, an integrative negotiation, or a blend of the two
3.Identify and work the BATNA: three things should be done with respect to other negotiator’s BATNA – monitor carefully, remind other negotiator’s advantages, and suggest other negotitor
4.Be willing to walk away: goal is achieving a valued outcome, not reaching an agreement per se.
5.Master paradoxes: the best way to manage paradox is to achieve a balance between the opposing forces
6.Remember the intangibles: intangibles frequently affect negotiation in a negative way
7.Actively manage coalitions: three types of coalitions and their potential effects – coalitions against you, coalitions that support you, and loose, undefined coalition that may materialize either for or against you
8.Savor and protect your reputation: Reputation is fragile, important to build, easy to break and very hare to rebuild once broken.
9.Remember that rationality and fairness are relative
10.Continue to learn from the experience: the best negotiator should analyze each negotiation after it has concluded, to review what happened and what they learned.

Negotiation Chapter 11 : International and Cross-Cultural Negotiation

This chapter discusses some of the factors that make international negotiation different, including environmental context (such as political and legal pluralism, international economics, foreign governments and bureaucracies, instability, ideology, culture, and external stakeholders) and the immediate context (such as relative bargaining power, levels of conflict, relationship between negotiators, desired outcomes, and immediate stakeholders). This chapter also described the effect of culture, how culture has been conceptualized. There are two important ways that culture has been conceptualized: culture as shared value, and culture dialectic. The influence of culture on negotiations is listed in term of managerial and research perspectives. From the practitioner perspective, we discussed 10 ways that culture can influences negotiation: the definition of negotiation, the negotiation opportunity, the selection of negotiators, protocol, communication, time sensitivity, risk propensity, groups versus individuals, the nature of agreements, and emotionalism. From the research perspective, we examined the effects of culture on negotiation outcomes, negotiation process, negotiator cognition, and negotiator ethics. This chapter also discussed eight different culturally responsive strategies that negotiators can use with a negotiator from a different culture.

Negotiation Chapter 10 : Multiple Parties and Teams

This chapter purposely describes how the negotiation process changes when there are more than two parties. First of all, the nature of multiparty negotiation differs from two-party deliberations in several ways which make more complex, challenging, and difficult to manage such as number of parties, informational and computational complexity, social complexity, procedural complexity, and strategic complexity. Understanding the attributes of an effective group will help to understand the multiparty negotiation means. Effective groups and their members do the following things:
1.Test assumptions and inferences
2.Share all relevant information
3.Focus on interests, not positions
4.Be specific – use examples
5.Agree on what important works mean
6.Explain the reasons behind one’s statements, questions, and answers
7.Disagree openly with any member of the group
8.Make statements, then invite questions and comments
9.Jointly design ways to test disagreements and solutions
10.Discuss undiscussable issues
11.Keep the discussion focused
12.Do not take cheap shots or otherwise distract the group
13.Expect to have all members participate in all phases of the process
14.Exchange relevant information with nongroup members.
15.Make decisions by consensus
16.Conduct a self-critique
There are three key stages that characterize multiparty negotiation: prenegotiation, actual negotiation, and managing the agreement. The prenegotiation stage is characterized by lots of informal contact among the parties so we should work on who the participants are, what coalitions are, defining group member roles, understanding the costs and consequences of no agreement, and learning the issues and constructing an agenda. In term of formal negotiation stage, the negotiation process and outcome should be managed by appointing an appropriate chair, using and restructuring the agenda, ensuring a diversity of information and perspectives, ensuring consideration of all the available information, managing conflict effectively, reviewing and managing the decision rules, striving for a first agreement, and managing problem team members. Last stage is the agreement phase, there are four key problem-solving steps need to occur during this phase: select the best solution, develop an action plan, implement the action plan, and evaluate the just-completed process.

Negotiation Chapter 9 : Relationships in Negotiation

This chapter identifies several issues that make negotiating in relationship different from and more challenging than conducting either distributive or integrative negotiations between parties who have no past or intended future relationship. “Relationship” is the meaning assigned by two or more individuals to their connectedness or coexistence. There are four key dimensions of relationship; Attraction, Rapport, Bonding, and Breadth. Reputation, trust, and justice are three elements that be come more critical and pronounced when they occur within a relationship negotiation. Your reputation is how other people remember their past experience with you, so it is the legacy that you leave behind after a negotiation encounter with another party. Higher levels of trust make negotiation easier, while lower levels of trust make negotiation more difficult. There are three things that contribute to the level of trust one negotiator may have for another: the individual’s chronic disposition toward trust; situation factors; and the history of the relationship between the parties. The third major issue in relationships is the question of what is fair or just. Not only are various form of justice interrelated, but reputation, trust, and justice all interact in shaping expectations of the other’s behavior

Negotiation Chapter 8 : Ethics in Negotiation

This chapter talked about ethical standard for behavior in negotiation. The negotiators need to know about ethics because they often make decision about the strategies might concern about the ethic. The Ethics are broadly applied social standard for what is right or wrong while the morals are individual or personal belief about what is right or wrong. There are four standards for evaluating strategies and tactics in negotiation as follow:
· End-result ethics: Based on the expected outcomes
· Rule ethics: Based on what the law says
· Social-contrast ethics: Based on the strategies and values of the society
· Personalistic ethics: Based on one’s own conscience and moral standard
The simple model of ethical decision making is help explain how the negotiator whether to employ one or more deceptive tactics. The model starts at being in the influence situation, then identifying a range of possible influence tactics. After identifying, the negotiator decides to select and use one or more tactics, and evaluate the consequences: Impact of Tactics, Self-evaluation, and feedback or reaction from other negotiator. Negative or positive conclusion leads the negotiator to explain or justify the use of the tactics. Ethical tactics in Negotiation are mostly about truth telling. There are six categories of marginally ethical Negotiation Tactics: traditional competitive bargaining, emotional manipulation, misrepresentation, misrepresentation to opponent’s networks, inappropriate information gathering, and bluffing. This chapter also focused on the intentions and motives to use deceptive tactics. Different types of deception can serve different purpose in negotiation. The motivation can affect the tendency to use deceptive tactics. The consequences of unethical conduct are based on whether the tactic is effective; how the other person evaluates the tactic; and how the negotiator evaluates the tactic. When the negotiator uses the tactic that may produce the reaction, the negotiator must prepare to defend. The primary purpose of the explanation and justifications is to rationalize, explain, or excuse the behavior. When the negotiators deal with the other party’s use of deception, they can generally do the following:
· Ask Probing Questions
. Recognize the Tactic

Leadership Chapter 12 : Leading through Effective External Relations

This chapter talked about guidelines to help manage external relations in daily encounters and in crisis situation toward the company’s positive image. We should know how to apply the communication strategy to external relations, how to shape a positive image, how to deal with the media, and how to manage crisis communication.

In developing an external relations strategy, the company should clarify purpose and strategic objectives. The messages communicated in all external materials should be clear and consistent in order to avoid confusion and unwanted associations. Then, the company should priority identify major external stakeholders which include many or all of the following: media, community, customers, investors, analysts, board, partners, distributors, suppliers or vendors, trade associations, unions, interest groups, retirees, competitors, government agencies, and the public at large. The major messages are created in the criteria of honesty, clearness, consistency, and meaningfulness. The spokespersons must be at the right level for the problem, must project a positive ethos, and should have received media training. Deciding on the most effective media or forum to ensure reaching the stakeholders is one of the critical components to develop the external relations. Timing of the external message can be also critical. In monitoring the results, there are two common methods used to obtain feedback from the external stakeholders as follow: focus group and surveys.

In building and maintaining a positive corporate image, the company can design campaigns to promote as a whole, carry out ambitious program to champion product quality and customer service, maintain systems to screen employee activities for reputation side effects, demonstrate sensitivity to the environment, hire internal communication staff and retain public relations firms, and demonstrate “corporate citizenship”.

In working with the news media, the company should understand the media’s role and importance, decide when to talk to the media, and prepare for and deliver a media interview.

The company might face with the crisis situation so the following guidelines will help company to respond appropriately.
1. Develop a general crisis communication plan and communicate it
2. Once the crisis occurs, respond quickly,
3. Make sure you have the right people ready to respond and that they all respond with the same message
4. Put yourself in the shoes of your audience
5. Do not overlook the value of the web
6. Revisit your crisis communication plan frequently
7. Build in a way to monitor the coverage
8. Perform a postcrisis evaluation

Leadership Chapter 11 : Leadership Through Strategic Internal Communication

This chapter talked about the effective internal communication leadership which is an important tool for management to direct the organization and motivate employee. This chapter also focused on establishing leadership through strategic communication with the employees. They start with recognizing the strategic role of employee communication. We should ensure the employee communication connects to the strategic objectives. We should assess the employee communication effectiveness in order to coach or encourage them for accomplishing the organization’s goal. In the effective internal communication stage, there are the core factors as follow:
- Supportive management
- Targeted messages
- Effective media/forum
- Well-positioned staff
- Ongoing assessment
We need the missions and vision to strengthen the internal communication by understanding the importance of mission and vision, defining missions and visions, ensuring the mission and vision are effective, and building an effective mission and vision. For Building an Effective mission and vision, we might start with create initial draft, then clarify the meaning. The mission and vision need to be concise. The strategic objectives are developed to make the vision. Cascading meeting is the way to test the employee about the mission and vision. It might start with the upper level of the organization broken into functions or division and then give way to cross-level, functional, or divisional meetings. Next step is the designing and implementing effective change communication which should begin with determining the scope of the change communication program, and then structuring a communication program for major change.

Leadership Chapter 10 :High-Performing Team Leadership

In this chapter, we learn that, because teams are so commonly found in most organizations today, there is need for managers to learn how best to work with teams and to help ensure that teams perform at their peak.There is need for careful thought to be put into deciding whether to form a team for a particular purpose to meet a particular need, or to work through individuals acting alone and once the decision to form a team is made, there is need to ensure that the team has focus and delivers the results for which it was formed.Managers need to understand the people side of teams and learn how to address issues such as cultural differences, different personality types within the group and varying expectations of members from the team and the team experience.In the organised private sector here in Nigeria, there is a prevalence of teams in many organizations. There are sales teams, marketing teams, production teams etc. focused on helping organizations achieve their set goals and objectives. Hence, understanding team dynamics is crucial to one’s success as a manager.

Leadership Chapter 9 : Meetings Leadership and Productivity

With managers spending between 70 and 90 percent of their workday communicating, a great deal of this time is spent in business meetings.When meetings last too long or attendees fail to take meetings seriously or wander of topic during meetings, meetings tend to lose their value in organizations.Hence, it is essential that managers learn how to plan properly for meetings, manage meeting problems and conflicts effectively and ensure that meetings to into positive action for the organization.

Leadership Chapter 8: Cross-cultural literacy and communication

In this chapter, we learnt how emotional intelligence relates to leadership style and how cultural literacy relates to how effectively one communicates as a leader.There are definite steps that can be taken to improve one’s emotional intelligence and how well one.As a leader, one’s listening skills can also be improved upon.In communicating, there is need to pay close attention both verbal and non verbal communication elements in order to succeed as a leader.Mentoring is key part of leadership communication and providing feedback is essential to developing staff that report to us as managers.In the context of emotional intelligence, psychological tools like the MBTI can be used to understand oneself better and help identify possible areas for improvement.

Chapter 7 Ethics in Negotiation

This chapter focuses on the primary factors that negotiators consider when they decide whether particular tactics are deceptive and unethical. The negotiation process raises several critical ethical issues. Much of what has been written on negotiating behavior has been strongly normative about ethics and has prescribed “should” and “should nots.”

Discussions of business ethics frequently confuse ethical versus prudent versus practical versus legal criteria for judging appropriate conduct. Most of the ethics issues in negotiation are concerned with standards of truth telling-how honest, candid, and disclosing a negotiator should be. Some negotiators may cheat or steal, but most of the attention in negotiator ethics has been on lying behavior.

From time to time, most executives find themselves compelled, for their own interests or the interests of their companies, to practice some form of deception in their dealings with customers, suppliers, labor unions, government officials, or even other key executives.The purpose of using marginally ethical negotiating tactics is to increase the negotiator’s power in the bargaining environment.

Chapter 6 Finding ad Using Negotiation Leverage

In this chapter i have considered elements of the art and science of communication that are relevant to understanding negotiations.

I first addressed what is communicated during negotiation. Rather than simply being an exchange of preferences about solutions, negotiations cover a wide-ranging number of topics in an environment where each party is try to influence the other. This was followed by an explanation of three issues related to how people communicate in negotiation; the use of language, nonverbal communication, and the selection of a communication channel. I also examined how to improve communication in negotiation by the use of questions, listening and role reversal.

In the final two sections of the chapter  I know how to improve communication in negotiation, and special communication considerations at the close of negotiation, basically, know when to shut up!

Personally I believe that the need for effective communication in negotiation can not be over-emphasized. It is what makes or mars a negotiation, it is what determines, to a large extent, the outcome of a negotiation process. Thus, I must have a good command and understanding of communication, both verbal and especially nonverbal.

Chapter 5 Negotiation Perception, Cognition and Emotion

In this chapter,  learnt about how psychological perception is related to the process of negotiation.

We also learnt about cognition which is the process of using information to make decisions about tactics and strategy within which framing and cognitive biases come into play.

It is essential that, as managers, we avoid cognitive biases in the negotiation process.

Chapter 4 Negotiation Strategy and Planning

In this chapter, we learnt about how negotiators should plan and prepare before starting negotiations.

Failure to plan and prepare and develop a negotiation strategy can lead to outright failure in negotiation or poor performance as a negotiator.

As a negotiator, you should set clear objectives with regards to what you want to get out the negotiations. You should ensure that you do your homework and gather as much information as possible to act as a guide in preparing one’s bargaining mix.

Chapter 3 Negotiation Strategy and tactics of integrative Negotiation

This chapter talked about the basic element of a distributive bargaining situation which can be explained into 3 points; Opening, Target, and Resistance point. The spread between the resistance points called Bargaining range, Settlement range, or zone of potential agreement. Each party’s goal is to obtain the settlement as much as possible. An alternative outcome is an important factor to give the negotiator power to walk away from any negotiation when the deal is not very good. There is rarely a negotiation with only one item. The set of item refers to as a bargaining mix. The most two effective strategies are to discover the other party’s resistance point, and to influence the other party’s resistance point. The tactical tasks of the bargaining are to assess outcome values and the costs of termination, to manage the other party’s impression, to modify the other party’s perception, and to manipulate the actual costs of delay or termination. The effective distributive bargainers need to understand the process of taking a position during bargaining and the role of making concession during the negotiation process. Commitment, which is a key concept in creating a bargaining position, is the taking of a bargaining position with some explicit or implicit pledge regarding the future course of action. After negotiation for a period of time, the next step is to close the agreement.

Chapter 2 Negotiation Strategy and Tactics of Distributive Bargaining

In this chapter you will learn what negotiators should do before opening negotiations. The effective strategizing, planning, and preparation are the most critical pre cursors for achieving negotiation objectives. With effective planning and target setting, most negotiators can achieve their objectives; without them, results occur more by chance than by negotiator effort.

In this chapter, we reviewed the key factors that a negotiators needs to know and undersand to successfully plan for a negotiation. So, first of all you have to know what Goals-The objectives that drive a negotiation strategy is, and select the strategy that is most likely to achieve one's objectives, and also take into consideration the long-term relationship with the other party. And you have to know how they "frame" the problem, issue, or conflict.

· There may be other ways to define the problem that may make it more or less anenable to negotiation and resolution.

· The other party may not be defining it in the same way, which may contribute to the ease or difficulty with which the parties can communicate about the problem with each other.

After all, you will learn about the disscussion of planning and strategizing by exploring the broad process of strategy development, starting with defining the negotiator's goals/objectives. Then understanding the process of developing a strategy to achieve those goals, discussion of the issues at stake, and exploration of how the definition of those issues may change over the course of a negotiation, address the typical stages and phases of an evolving negotiation, and how understanding them may affect planning.

Finally, the critical steps involved in creating a plan to execute a strategy are discussed.

Chapter 1 Negotiation The Nature of Negotiation

In this chapter, we learn that interdependence is the relationship between people and groups that often leads them to negotiate.

In negotiations, there is usually a conflict of needs and desires between all parties involved, and there is need to engage in mutual adjustment of one’s expectations of outcomes from the bargaining process. Hence, in negotiations, there is a give-and-take process that usually occurs.

Successful negotiation involves the management of tangibles and intangibles as all parties involved try to move towards their settlement point and try to claim value from the negotiation.

Chapter 7: Leading productive management meetings

With managers spending between 70 and 90 percent of their workday communicating, a great deal of this time is spent in business meetings.

When meetings last too long or attendees fail to take meetings seriously or wander of topic during meetings, meetings tend to lose their value in organizations.

Hence, it is essential that managers learn how to plan properly for meetings, manage meeting problems and conflicts effectively and ensure that meetings to into positive action for the organization.

Chapter 6: Developing emotional intelligence and cultural literacy to strengthen leadership communication

In this chapter, talking about how emotional intelligence relates to leadership style and how cultural literacy relates to how effectively one communicates as a leader.

There are definite steps that can be taken to improve one’s emotional intelligence and how well one.

As a leader, one’s listening skills can also be improved upon.

In communicating, there is need to pay close attention both verbal and non verbal communication elements in order to succeed as a leader.

Mentoring is key part of leadership communication and providing feedback is essential to developing staff that report to us as managers.

In the context of emotional intelligence, psychological tools like the MBTI can be used to understand oneself better and help identify possible areas for improvement.

Chapter 5:Using Graphical & Power Point for a Leadership Edge

This chapter gives me an insight to the following;

1. Recognize when to use graphics

2. Select & design effective data charts

3. Create meaningful and effective text layouts

4. Employ fundamental graphic content & design principles

5. Make the most of PowerPoint as a design and presentation tools

Further breakdowns of the above insights on this chapter are stated below.

1) When to use graphics in presentations are as follows;

• Reinforce the message

• Provide a roadmap to the structure

• Illustrate relationships or concepts visually

• Support an assertion

• Emphasize important ideas

• Maintain and enhance interest

2) When to select and design effective data charts are as follows;

• Pie = Compare proportions and relative amounts

• Bars = Convey absolute value data, relative sizes, or close comparisons

• Step or waterfall = Convey differences

• Histograms = Show  what’s typical or exceptional

• Line = Demonstrate trends or interactions between variables

• Scatter Plot = Illustrate how well one thing predicts another

3) Create meaningful and effective text layouts; it is important that when developing a presentation slide, the text layout is very visible and clear. It is also important that a slide is not heavily populated with too much information.

4) Employ fundamental graphic content & design principles: there are basic tips on how a slide; see below

a) How to design a slide;

• Keep it simple:  Remember “Less is more”

• Have only one message per slide

• Make sure the slide title captures the “so what?”

• Select graphics that support the message

• Use shading to guide audience to the message

• Use animation only if it reinforces the message

b) How to use colors in slides;

• Dark background (dark blue to black)

• White, cream, yellow, or gold font

• Arial or similar sans serif font

• At least 20 point font size for text, depending on size of the room

• 28+ font size for titles, depending on room

c) Colors and fonts to avoid;

• White background

• Black serif font

• All caps in titles or text

• Initial caps except in titles

• Underlining of text

• Red font on blue backgrounds

In summary, the study of this chapter will help improve your power point presentation skills.

Chapter 4 Developing & Delivering Leadership Presentations

This chapter talked about how to present our message effectively through Three "P" process; Planning, Preparing, and Presenting. First of all, planning the presentation is the process we need to determine our strategy, analyze our audience, select the medium and delivery method, and organize and establish your logical structure. There are three common types of presentations found in Business today- the round table, the stand-up presentation, and the impromptu. After we pass the first "P", we are ready to start preparing the actual presentation.

The preparation consists of developing the introduction, body and conclusion; creating the graphics; testing the flow and logic; editing and proofreading; and practicing. The Last "P" is the presenting process. We should concentrate on our delivery style, focusing particularly on eye contact, stance, and overall effect. Our ethos will determine the overall effect of our presentation. The best way to project our ethos is to believe in what we are saying and to be full prepared. The self-evaluation form assesses our presentation and establishes an improvement plan. We may watch ourselves on a video to evaluate ourselves.

Chapter 3 :Using Language to Achieve a Leadership Purpose

The goal of this chapter is to help you create a positive ethos through the effective use of language--the use of the right words in the right way to achieve the outcome you intend. You reveal your ethos through the language you use. If you are unsure and lack confidence in your writing or speaking abilities, your choice of words, your style, and your tone will reveal it . If ,on the other hand, you are confident in your ability to use the language of leaders, that confidence will resonate in your words and enhance your influence with all your targeted audiences.

As a leader, you want your audience to perceive positive eths in your tone, to see you as confident, and to trust and believe you. This chapter begins by discussing how you can achieve a positive ethos through your writing and speaking style, which your audience perceives as your tone. It provides ways to make your style more concise and , by doing so , ensure that you sound more forceful and confident. It then reviews briefly the correct use of language expected in leadership communication and concludes by showing you techniques the help you edit your own work.

In this chapter you will learn to do the following:

· Achieve a positive ethos through tone and style.

· Communicate in a style that is clear and concise.

· Use business language correctly.

· Employ efficient editing techniques.

Chapter2 : Crating Leadership Document

In this chapter, learn that one of the key elements of successful leadership communication is the ability of a leader to share his knowledge, ideas and vision to his followers in a clear and concise manner.

There is need for leaders to select the most effective communication medium to use to pass messages across.

Leadership documents might be documents for individuals or documents for teams.

Leaders need to understand how to structure the information that they intend to pass across in a manner that avoids ambiguity or misinterpretation of the message by the recipient.

Chapter1 : Developing Leadership Communication Strategy

This chapter talked about the leadership communication which emphasized on establishing a clear purpose developing a communication strategy, analyzing an audience, and ensuring we use the most effective organization structure. In business section, we set the purposes or objectives and find the best way to accomplish them. It's the same meaning to the leadership communication. We have to know what we like to communicate to the audience and determine how best to achieve the successful communication.

First, we should have the clear purpose, and then generate the ideas by brainstorming, idea mapping, journalist’s questions and decision tree. The next step is determining the communication strategy. There are many components in the communication strategy framework that we need to consider. Let's begin with the context-what is happening when the messages are received. Then, we focus on purpose, message, medium/forum-the best channel for message delivery, spokesperson-the proper person to deliver the message and timing matter, audience, and feedback. Analyzing the audience is significant to determine how we can approach and shape the messages. Whenever we've clarified our purpose, conducted the audience analysis, and created the strategy, we're getting ready to choose the best way containing good organization to present our ideas to the audience by both written and oral. Selecting organizational devices, using the pyramid Principle, and creating a storyboard are the techniques for working out the logical and structured communication.