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'Howto'StrategicSaturday

From: FOREOperations&Strategy<fostra@fsm.ac.in>

Sat,Sep24,201608:34PM

Subject: 'Howto'StrategicSaturday
To: FMG25<fmg25@fsm.ac.in>,FMG24
<fmg24@fsm.ac.in>,IMG10<img10@fsm.ac.in>,
IMG9<img9@fsm.ac.in>
Cc: MohitaSharmaMam<mohita@fsm.ac.in>,Dr.
SumeetKaur<skaur@fsm.ac.in>,PresidentStudents'
council<president_studentscouncil@fsm.ac.in>,Vice
PresidentStudentscouncil<vice
president_studentscouncil@fsm.ac.in>
GREETINGS!!

HowtoNegotiateSituationsThatFeelHopeless!
Everythingfromhighstakesbusinessdealstopeaceagreementswithterrorists,fromjob
offerstoceasefirestofamilybusinessconflicts,dealinginthesesituationrequire
negotiationanditisnotaboutdollarsorcents.Norisitaboutliveslostorlivessaved,or
aboutanyonecurrency.Nomatterthecontextorthestakesinvolved,negotiationisalways,
fundamentally,abouthumaninteraction.
Whetherwearetryingtostructureastrategicrelationship,getmoremoney,stopbullets,or
deescalateemotions,thequestionwearealwaysconfrontingintheworldofnegotiationis
this:Howcanweengagewithotherhumanbeingsinsuchawayastoachievebetter
understandingsandagreements?
Itdoesntmatterwhetherthatagreementisgoingtobewrittendownonapieceofpaper.So
weshoulddefinenegotiationaccordingly:Negotiationistheprocessbywhichtwoormore
partieswhoperceiveadifferenceininterestsorperspectiveattempttoreachagreement.
Hagglingordebatingmightbeacomponentofwhathappensinanegotiation,butitisthe
tipoftheicebergatbestandinmanysituations,ahagglingordebatingmindsetcanget
youintrouble.Hagglinganddebatingarezerosumapproaches.Mostnegotiationsarenot
zerosumgames,soanyzerosummetaphorweuse(itslikechessoritslikepoker)is
dangerouslyflawed.
Evenwarisnotazerosumgame.Youwilloftenhavemorethanonewinner,ormorethan
oneloser.Itispossibletohaveoutcomesthatarebetterorworseforallparties.Youdont
necessarilyhavetobeatthemtoachieveyourobjectivesor,youmayneedtocollaborate
withthemonsomeissuesevenwhileyouarecompetingonothers.
"EMPATHYISESSENTIALFORACHIEVINGYOUROWNOBJECTIVESINTHE
DEAL."

Empathyisaboutunderstanding,aswellaspossible,theinterests,constraints,alternatives,
andperspectiveoftheotherparties.Thisisnotaboutbeingniceorgenerousempathyis
essentialforachievingyourownobjectivesinthedeal.
Ifyoudonotunderstandwhatdrivesthem(theirinterests),youwillhaveahardtime
structuringaviableagreement,andyouwillnotknowhowmuchleverageyouhavein
dealingwiththem.Ifyoudonotunderstandtheirconstraints,youmayaskforthingsthat
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areimpossible,whilemissopportunitiesforresolvingtheconflictinwaysthattheycould
actuallyaccept.Ifyoudonotunderstandtheiralternatives,youwillmisjudgehowstrongor
weaktheyare,andhowmuchvalueyoubringtothetable.Finally,ifyoudonotunderstand
theirperspectivehowtheyaremakingsenseofthisdealordispute,youwillnotbeableto
anticipateallofthebarrierstogettingthedealdone.
Ironically,empathyisneededmostwhenyouaredealingwithpeoplewhoseemtodeserve
itleast.Whenyouarenegotiatingwithpeoplewhoarebehavinginaggressiveorseemingly
inexplicableways,itistemptingtosimplywritethemoffasirrationalorevilbutthis
limitsyourownoptions,becauseyougetblindedtothepossibilitythatthereisaway
forwardthatreconcileseachsidesneedsandconcerns.Whenyouinsteadseekto
understandhowtheyjustifytheiractionstothemselves,youhavethepossibilityof
identifyingadditionalpathsforresolvingtheconflict.Thisdoesnotmeanyouhavetohave
sympathyforthem,ortoagreethattheirdemandsandperspectivearelegitimate.Butyou
mustmaketheefforttounderstandwhytheydeemthemtobeappropriate.Thegreateryour
capacityforempathy,themorelikelyyoufindawayforward.
Canempathybelearned?Therearetwoanswers.Tocultivateagreaternaturalproclivityfor
empathycantaketimeyouarechanginglongheldbeliefsortendencies.Ontheother
hand,youcanstarttochangeyourbehaviorsveryquickly.Youcanaskmorequestionsin
yournegotiationstobetterascertaintheotherpartiesinterests.Ifyouareunsureofhow
theyareconstrained,youcanproposemultipleoptionsforstructuringadeal,insteadof
makingjustoneoffer,toavoidgettinglockedintoapaththatendsinimpasse.Youcan
decidenottorespondtooquicklytoseeminglyhostileorirrationalbehaviors.Theseareall
behavioralchangesthatyoucanstarttoimplementtoday.

ThanksandRegards
AchintyaMalik
TeamFOSTRA:FOREOperations&StrategyGroup
FORESchoolofManagementB18|QutabInstitutionalArea|NewDelhi|www.fsm.ac.in
Email:fostra@fsm.ac.in||FOSTRA@Facebook

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