Negotiation Tactics

To advance negotiations or to bring them to a close, it is often necessary to intervene in a strategic manner, either as an outside party to resolve the situation for the principal parties or as one of the principals. Five interventions that can achieve the negotiation’s goals are to compete with the other parties, to compromise, to accommodate, to avoid the issues or to collaborate.

1. Compete with the Other Parties

   • Competing with the other parties is an appropriate strategy when a quick resolution is required for a simple and straight-forward problem. It can also be used when the necessary solution is unpopular and cooperation from the other parties is unlikely. Proposals to achieve goals are presented in competition to the proposals of the other parties in an either/or scenario. Typical examples are cost-cutting or staff reductions. The strategy is characterized by high assertiveness, a lack of cooperation and a quick termination of the negotiations.

   Compromise with the Other Parties

   • A compromising approach is an appropriate strategy when all parties are of similar importance and all parties have some power to influence the outcome. It is characterized by bargaining and trading. While the final solution typically has the approval of all concerned, it does not give clear and optimal results for complex problems. It can be used to achieve a temporary solution quickly while a more permanent solution is being considered and prepared.

   Accommodate the Other Parties

   • Accommodation is a strategy which is characterized by high levels of cooperation. It is appropriate when the goals of the other parties are acceptable or when the other parties themselves are of strategic importance. It should also be used when achieving a particular goal is of great importanct to the other parties and when a key factor in the negotiations is to preserve future relations. The result is that present goals are sacrificed for future gains.

   Avoid the Issues

   • Avoidance of the issues is an appropriate strategic response when it is clear that the issues involved will not be resolved at the negotiations or when it is clear that any possible outcome would not be acceptable. The strategy is characterized by a lack of cooperation and a lack of assertiveness. It is essentially a non-negotiation and results in a quick termination without any resolution, an outcome which is the goal of the particular strategy.

   Collaborate with the Other Parties

   • Collaboration is an appropriate strategy for addressing complicated issues that require new, creative solutions in which all parties can achieve their goals. It is characterized by high cooperation and high assertiveness as each party presents its goals. Each party will also expect to have its goals treated with consideration and to have them reflected in the final outcome.

     While the other strategies can be practiced successfully by one side, collaboration requires that all parties participate sincerely. Collaboration is therefore more difficult to achieve and it takes much longer to reach the required consensus. Collaboration is nevertheless often attempted as a strategic option. It is the only strategy which guarantees a win-win situation for all parties and has an optimal chance of providing the best solution.

By Bert Markgraf, eHow Contributor

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