Page 144 - Communication in Organizations Basic Skills and Conversation Models

Negotiating 133

Introduction phase
Negotiators (or ‘conversation leaders’) who wish to negotiate in a structured manner
begin the negotiation by indicating the goal of the meeting. They announce the time
available and propose a procedure. The participants know what they can expect from
each other and to what they must adhere.

Exploration phase
In the first round of the actual negotiation, conversation leaders recommend that the
parties mention their wishes. They ask for the underlying interests and stimulate the
participants to ask questions in order to clarify the situation. This phase is concerned with
charting the starting points. It is the phase of asking questions and accepting: not of
asking for justifications but for explanation. Negotiators often quickly feel threatened and
unsure if they have to justify their wishes. Threatening leads to a defensive attitude. If
there are no more questions for clarification, the conversation leader clearly summarizes
the wishes and interests of the participating parties.

Discussion phase
After the conversation leader’s summary the moment has been reached where the parties
can begin to discuss each other’s starting points and together seek common interests. At
this phase the negotiation space is established. It is reinforced if small successes can be
achieved at this stage that continue to play a role in subsequent proposals.
The conversation leader should take care that proposals are not immediately criticized
and rejected, but are taken into consideration. Equally, the conversation leader should
take care that proposals are not immediately embraced as the only solution. In this phase
all proposals and solutions are viewed as alternatives (see p. 112; LePoole, 1991).

Decision phase
In this phase the parties suggest proposals for agreements and try to reach compromises.
After all the explorations during the previous phases, it has usually become clear to the
negotiators where the boundaries of the negotiation space lie. They now come forward
with their proposals that will often, after a number of mutual concessions, lead to a
definitive compromise. After one party’s proposal the other can ask for time to think it
over, for example, to find out for themselves how much elasticity remains in the
proposal, or to deliberate with colleagues or with the group they are representing.

Closing phase

When the parties have closed their negotiations at the end of the decision phase,
definitive agreements are made. It is often important that the agreements are laid down on
paper. If necessary, the agreements are read aloud. The participating parties still have the
opportunity of proposing a different formulation and can declare their agreement by
signing the text. Then, no disagreement can come about concerning what exactly the
agreement entailed. In order to reduce the danger of incorrect interpretations, it is