Don't you wanna know how we keep starting fires?

Today we talked about different negotiator types. Out of the five types we had to choose one that we find the most suitable for us. The avoiding type seemed to fit me in the best way. In a negotiation situation, I find myself out of my comfort-zone. This is especially true when the other negotiator party is not familiar to me before-hand. In the assessed negotiation, this was evident from the fact that I tried to get to an agreement fast and in a straight-forward manner. The sooner I get away from the situation, the better. This is something I hope to improve during this course, so that I can get more comfortable in these situations and focus on getting a better deal instead of just getting out of there as fast as possible.

After a short break caused by a fire alarm, we discussed how we would like to develop ourselves as negotiators. The competitive aspect is definitely something I should work on. Because I mostly try to avoid negotiations, this is quite tricky. I think the first step is to actually get used to negotiating and maybe after that I'll be able to do something to get my competitive side more prominent. One good advice that was said in the class, was that one should prepare some personal goals before the negotiation. I'll probably try that in the second assessed negotiation.

We also started to work on the group assignments. At the moment, the topic our group had in mind is to compare how people from an individualistic culture behave in a negotiation situation in comparison to people from a collectivistic culture. Should be interesting.

The first assessed simulation

Today we got a taste of negotiating in a medium-sized group, as we discussed what sort of criteria should be used to evaluate the Eurovan vs. Onasti simulation, as well as some one-on-one negotiating in the form of the actual simulation. The premise was that I was a representative of the Eurovan government and I was up against the representative of the wealthy oil magnate Onasti.

Unfortunately, the recording device was a bit too far away from us so the audio is a bit quiet. Also, the distance to the other pair wasn't probably enough, as the microphone seemed to pick up the other conversation as well. Sorry about that.

The negotation itself went decently. I think the end result was a win-win situation, even though I did make some compromises I probably shouldn't have done, like the 100% tax reduction. I went to the negotiation table with the premise, that Eurovan absolutely needs the oil, even if it means having to be a bit more flexible what the instruction sheet said.

We agreed upon a deal that satisfied both parties involved since we both made some compromises. Overall, I had a positive feeling after the negotiation. We both were calm and respected each other during the discussion. That being said, there are some things I could have done better. Most of the time I kept looking at my papers instead of making proper eye-contact. I also have an annoying habit of shaking my right leg (which can be seen also in the video). For the next negotiation, these two things are definitely something I need to take into account. Also, I probably should be a bit more aggresive in the actual negotiating to get a better deal. Improving these matters will definitely be a good challenge for me.

Communicating without words

Topic of the third class room session was non-verbal communication. Unfortunately I couldn't attend the session because I was ill. Nevertheless, I decided to chuck a few words about the topic here to reflect my own point-of-view.

The first thing that comes to mind about communicating is naturally the spoken interaction between people. However, body language and other non-verbal gestures are an important part of any communication situation. A successful negotiator can use this to his/hers advantage, e.g. getting a point across by showing assertiveness through body language. It is also possible to analyze the other side of the negotiating table for clues about the demands they might have. If the other side shows anxiety or some other kind of uncertainty, you can use this as a leverage. It is also wise to actively think about your own non-verbal communicating and to try to improve it. It doesn't matter how good of a speaker you might be, if you send out conflicting messages with your body language or otherwise don't communicate well non-verbally.

I thought about my own non-verbal communication, especially considering a negotiation situation. It's actually quite difficult to assess my own body language and other non-verbal cues without seeing it from an outsiders point-of-view. Maybe it will be easier after watching the video of the first assessed simulation.