INDUSTRY JOURNAL Vol . 8
opt to go into competitive negotiations , whereas interests will set the scene for collaborative negotiations . In your planning process it is important to make this decision because it will impact your strategy , the team you will assemble , as well as the techniques you will apply during the negotiation .
Once the decision has been made – either to compete or to collaborate – and the team has been established , you will lead them and the other party through the four stages of negotiation , namely the rapport stage , the exploration stage , the movement stage and the closure stage . Good planning will allow the teams to know what needs to be achieved in each of these stages and what role each team member will play at what point during the negotiation process .
As an estate manager working and negotiating with your residents , the strategy will always be to collaborate and not to compete . When we push for a specific business requirement , the competitive approach might be the best option , but not when dealing with residents . Part of the planning process in negotiation with residents , where the focus is on value creation , is to understand who the key stakeholders are and what their positions and interests are . The focus must be on changing positions into interests and letting them understand the value in the outcome of the negotiation for them as individuals as well as for the estate or establishment .
Good collaborative negotiators know how to focus on the people across the table and not the technical or business result , and they need to know how to address the people issues – such as fears and concerns , perceptions , resistance to change – and have good communication skills . The way the message is developed or encoded to allow the receiver to decode and understand it is of crucial importance for successful negotiations . To use an example , when an upgrade to the clubhouse is required , the message needs to focus on the value this will create for the residents , rather than the technical aspects of the design and architecture .
Good collaborative negotiators will always focus on the people and the value creation and will seek an outcome where both parties are really satisfied with the outcome and buy into the agreement . To achieve this , you need to focus on the objective criteria that were established in the exploration stage , change the other parties ’ positions to interests , and deliver the value proposition . Then negotiations can be a positive experience .
Jaco Duvenhage . PMP Principal : Project
Management – VBKOM
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