Unit 5. Negotiating Warming up

Ex. 1. Discuss the following questions.

1. Do you know what negotiation is?

2. When do you have to negotiate?

3. Do you like negotiating? Why/why not?

4. Do you think people should tell the complete truth when negotiating?

Ex. 2. Read the following extract and discuss the questions below. Which of the situations remind you of something that’s happened to you? Discuss your ideas with other people in the class.

1. Daily life is full of negotiations that can drive you crazy. Over breakfast you get into an argument with your spouse about buying a new car. You think it’s time, but your spouse says: “Don’t be ridiculous! You know we can’t afford it right now”.

2. A morning meeting with your boss. You present him with a carefully prepared proposal for a new project, but he interrupts you after a minute and says: “We already tried that and it didn’t work. Next item”.

3. During your lunch hour you try to return a defective toaster-oven, but the salesperson refuses to refund your money because you don’t have the sales slip: “It’s store policy”.

4. In the evening you need to return some phone calls, but the line is tied up by your thirteen-year-old daughter. Exasperated, you ask her to get off the phone. She yells: “Why don’t you get me my own phone line? All my friends have them”.

5. In order to give the person in the extract in 1 advice, what else would you need to know about each situation?

6. What would you say in response to each of the people in the text? Compare your ideas with a partner.

7. Complete the following sentence in not more than five words: ‘A good negotiator ... .’

Types of Negotiation

Ex. 1. Relate these headlines to the situations below. Then choose any type you like and describe it.

customer-supplier negotiations wage negotiations merger or takeover negotiations trade negotiations

contract disputes labour disputes trade disputes

Ex. 2. a) Study the following negotiating styles and discuss the questions below.

1. Avoider: Hate conflicts and avoid them at all costs. Hence making an agreement with an Avoider very difficult.

2. Compromiser: Their priority is to maintain a productive relationship. So they will make a compromise first, giving the other person what they want in order to reach an agreement and preserve the relationship.

3. Accommodator: They like to resolve conflict by solving the other person’s problems. If the other person is also an accommodator then they return the favour and help solve their problems. If not, the other person takes and gives nothing in return.

4. Competitor:  They like to win and be in control of the situation. They believe if they win, you lose.

5. Problem Solver: The most imaginative thinkers who think about fair “win / win” solutions and greater solutions that “make the pie bigger.”

b) Now study what outcomes (Good or Bad) these negotiation styles produced when two people (A and B) interacted together in a negotiation. What did the research show?

	Avoider (B)	Compromiser (B)	Accommodator (B)	Competitor (B)	Problem Solver (B)
Avoider (A)	Good	Bad	Bad	Bad	Bad
Compromiser (A)	Bad	Good	Good	Bad	Good
Accommodator (A)	Bad	Good	Good	Bad	Good
Competitor (A)	Bad	Bad	Bad	Good	Good
Problem Solver (A)	Bad	Good	Good	Good	Good

1. Do you think there are more or less than 5 common negotiation styles?

2. In your opinion, what type of people (negotiation style) do you like to negotiate with? Why?

3. When have you been most effective in negotiations?

4. Describe your favourite negotiators.

5. In your sector which negotiation style is the most typical? Why?

6. Can you think of other habits of effective negotiators?