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.