By Aggeliki – Myrsini Spiliopoulou,
Every day life has become a mess for everyone. From the moment someone gets to their job, they have to face demands from their superiors, partners, clients etc. Going home does not change a lot: kids, wife/husband and parents are people who want things from us. Maybe they want something simple, like spending more time with them, or maybe they ask for something much more complicated, such us to make long term commitments. All of those are cases in which people have to deal with problems caused by the demands of others. But, who doesn’t want to have a job or a family?
Negotiation is a process in which there are two sides with opposite demands, trying to find peacefully a solution that will make both of them satisfied. The fact that simple problems faced in every day life must be dealt with negotiations —since it is the less expensive method and it does not require that much time— indicates its importance. Not only those problems may be solved through negotiation, but also, in extremely serious matters, such as transnational problems, conflicts between companies, business problems with partners etc., negotiation is considered to be the best solution instead of going to court. All of us have the ability to negotiate because it is something we do from the time we become part of society. However, the knowledge someone has from their experience is not enough to come with an agreement, due to their psychological profiles. Each character has pros and cons and, during a negotiation, things should not depend on someone’s feelings.
Fisher and Ury came up with four principles that negotiating parties should follow in order to reach a win-win result. The basis to achieve a deal is not to connect the problem with the opposing party. The people someone negotiates with have nothing to do with the conflict they have to face: the problem is not the person. It would be helpful to get into the other side’s shoes and make a good effort to understand the “whys” behind their requests, without thoughts based on our personal feelings.
Fisher’s and Ury’s second piece of advice is to aim to the interests in contrast to the positions. Bearing into mind an ideal goal might distract you from your true interests. The most important thing to do before going to the negotiation table is to look for your alternatives. What is called BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement), is key when negotiating with people who have power: The fact that you have got an alternative strengthens your position and helps you find the bottom line of the interests that you will claim. The last principle is to insist on objective criteria. Both parties must be objective about their demands in order to have flexible proposals. The belief that their first position was absolutely rational —even when this is not logical— is catastrophic for a negotiation because it prevents the other party from coming to a deal, as this will harm their interests.
The knowledge of Fisher’s and Ury’s principles is, until now, considered to be the most crucial and basic step to become an effective negotiator. Not only does it guarantee equal benefits for all the parties, but it also allows them to have empathy for the other side without the risk of getting affected by their emotional situations. As a result, the relations of the parts are not harmed and at the same time, they reach a fruitful agreement.
Reference
- Roger Fisher, William Ury, with Bruce Patton. “Getting to Yes: Negotiating an Agreement Without Giving In”. Random House Buisness Books, 2nd edition. UK. 2011
