Dr. Forqan Uddin Ahmed, Former Deputy General and Commandant, Ansar VDP Academy: Negotiation is termed “the process by which at least two parties with different needs and viewpoints try to reach a consensus on a matter of mutual interest “. People negotiate all the time. In some ways, an individual negotiates at home, in the market, on the road and in the office. Negotiations take place between individuals, groups, parties, states, governments, employers and employees and organizations of common, competitive or conflicting interests. Achievements in many fields are fruits of successful negotiation. It is proposed to discuss here some important elements of negotiation behavior, tactics and strategy.
Various items of negotiation may be listed as those which you must get and those which you will give in lieu of something. For instance, one may not reduce price, but consider favorable terms of pay net. There is a limit to flexibility and concessions that can be made. Therefore, concessions should be used sparingly. Each concession should move the negotiator towards his goal. Deadlock is difficult to avoid once the concessions are used up.
The negotiators should look for areas of common grounds and at the same time, should anticipate possible areas of conflict. In multilateral negotiations, there may be other parties whose interests over-lap with your own and who can be influenced to support you on some areas. Once the common grounds are identified, negotiations on other points may be more specific and the currencies of exchange can then be better weighed. It must be remembered that two parties negotiate to gain and, therefore, a negotiation can be successful only if both parties gain something. Both parties are expected to negotiate fairly and ethically and in many cases, it is useful to be explicit and confirm values that you share.
During a negotiation, a steady pressure on the other party is desirable, but provocation should not be made. Large initial demands improve the probability of success. Large concessions or early concessions should be avoided. Concessions should be readily made when reciprocal concessions are expected. Early concessions, unless reciprocated, will raise the other party’s confidence and expectations.
The negotiator should know the other party’s need, which he can satisfy. He should find this out early in the negotiation. He should listen with open mind and express appreciation and understanding of other party’s viewpoints so that the opponent is encouraged to come out with his real need. The negotiator should be alert to other party’s offer of exchange, which could satisfy one of his own needs. The following concessions will cost very little, but they may get returns beyond all proportions in a negotiation: (a) listening attentively to what the other party has to say; (b) giving the other party the best explanation possible; (c) giving adequate proof of what you say; (d) nice treatment to the opponent; (e) assurance to the party that others are treated no better; (i) having someone at higher level in your organization commits himself to the satisfaction of the other party.
The negotiator should try to shape the other party’s need priorities more closely, to what he has to offer. You may pass information, which arouses the other party’s awareness of a need. You then point out how this could be satisfied by you. A good result may be achieved by linking offers or proposals directly or explicitly to the other or party’s expressed need. The negotiator should present both sides of an issue as this increases his image as an objective and fair-minded person. His favored viewpoint should be presented last.
At times, a final settlement of a well-agreed negotiation is avoided because the negotiator is not prepared to race the risk of saying ‘yes’. The settlement is prevented or delayed, however, on some other excuse. By creating an atmosphere of trust and empathy, a skilful negotiator tries to bring on the surface the negative consequence of the settlement feared by the other party and tries to remove or circumvent it. For instance, an agreement may be “initialed” by the parties negotiating, but it could be subjected to ratification within a certain period, by the organizations that the parties represent.