In the negotiation phase, it is important to know not only your negotiating partner`s verbal cues, but also nonverbal cues, including body language. This process can be tricky, and in difficult negotiations, you sometimes have to step back to resolve the issue until all parties feel comfortable. During the negotiation phase, each party will present its concerns as well as the solutions it perceives. This process is about give-and-take, so it is beneficial to remember that the ultimate goal is to reach mutual agreement. “Anchoring,” also known as “focusm,” is a cognitive bias that describes the “general human tendency to rely too much on a trait or information or to become too grounded when making decisions.” In negotiations, the anchoring bias is to use the first offer as a guide for what future offers should look like. The preparatory, exploratory and proposal phase involves researching relevant information and analyzing all the data you collect to determine its usefulness. It is important to understand the problem in question, as well as all possible angles. An experienced negotiator understands that the ultimate goal of negotiations is not necessarily to prove you right. It`s more about being informed and correct. Research in the early stages is important to understand what will happen in the negotiation of the current conflict.
Below, we`ve compiled the key techniques that project managers can use to navigate their project`s jungle of compromises. But before we get into all that, let`s talk about what negotiation is and the psychology behind it. Enforcement is as it seems: all parties meet their obligations. In the case of the toddler, the parent can choose to dominate (open the child`s mouth and stuff the peas), accept (look at the peas that remain on the toddler`s plate and say nothing), avoid (do not put peas on the toddler`s plate) or negotiate (prepare to find a solution with a toddler). An essential part of a project manager`s job is negotiating how much each team member needs to contribute to a project each week. Project managers must balance the needs of the team (individual bandwidth, vacation time, and competing projects) with the needs of the business. Successful project managers can inspire both parties to meet somewhere in the middle. One way to do this is to use a resource management tool with advance bookings and a collision management feature that allows you to plan work while negotiating competing priorities with the people involved. The conflicting parties of a project are not enemies or competitors, but allies of an alliance with strong common interests.
All parties to the conflict must seek solutions to the conflict that meet not only their individual needs, but also those of the other parties to the conflict, as well as the needs of the parent organization. In the language of negotiation, we speak of a “win-win” solution. Negotiations on a win-win solution are the key to conflict resolution in project management. 2. Focus on interests, not positions. Position negotiations take place when the PM tells a functional manager; “1 need for this sub-assembly by November 15.” The head of the function replies: “My group cannot start this year. Maybe we can deliver it by February 1. These are the first lines of a dialogue that bears an uncanny resemblance to the haggling of the tourist and the pe^ dler carpet. A simple “Let`s talk about the timing of this lower assembly” would be bj| sufficient to open the discussion. Otherwise, each party develops a high level of | The participation of the ego in their position, and negotiations never focus on the real interests and concerns of the parties to the conflict – the central issues of the conflict.
The exchange deteriorates into a series of positional compromises that satisfy neither party and make them feel like they have lost something important. There are many books on negotiations, some of which are listed in the bibliography of this chapter. Most of this work is focused on negotiations between adversaries, not an appropriate mindset for the project manager, but all contain useful and tactical advice for the project manager. Wall`s book [33] is an excellent scientific treatment of the subject. Fisher and Ury [13] is a clear account of principled negotiations and contains much relevant to the Prime Minister. also You Can Negotiate Anything by Herb Cohen |9| is an excellent guide to win-win negotiations. If you know your BATNA, you will have all the information you need about what you will and will not accept, and how you will react if you cannot reach an agreement with a stakeholder in the project. We have all seen it before. One stakeholder wants a brand new program that can do it all: manage routes, balance a budget, replenish supplies, and monitor a wireless security camera.
This visionary wants the project to be completed in 90 days with a team of three people and “as started as possible”. Preparation may not guarantee the success of the negotiation, but it certainly does not hurt your chances. Chances are, you haven`t emerged victorious from all of life`s conflicts, and it`s important to remember that there`s no guarantee. No matter how prepared you are, there is always the possibility that a mutually beneficial solution may not be possible. It`s important to see these moments as an opportunity to grow and build a future relationship with the opposition, rather than just seeing it as a loss. No matter what project management methodology you use, negotiation is a crucial skill for any project manager. In Getting to Yes, Fisher, Ury and Patton describe the four main elements of principled negotiations. By learning these elements, you can greatly improve your negotiation skills.