N07: Finding and Using Negotiation Power

One of tools negotiators can use to give themselves an advantage or increase the probability of achieving their objectives is a ‘power’.  Many negotiators believe that power is very important in negotiation and who have this power usually understand how to put pressure on the other party, how to persuade the other party to change their mind.

Where could negotiators get the power or the capabilities to give themselves an advantage?

-       Negotiators can get the power from information sources of power; negotiators can assemble and organize facts and data to support their position, argument and desired outcomes.

-       Negotiators can get the power from personal sources of power; they can acquire power from their psychological orientation, cognitive orientation, Motivational orientation, Dispositions and Skills and Moral orientation.

-       Negotiators can get power from their position in an organization. They can gain the power from their responsibility, duties or position of the job. Also, power can come from creating a resource stockpile in an environment where resources appear to be scarce.

-       Power can come from the relationship. Negotiators goal interdependence, Referent power, Networks can also have an impact on how negotiators constructively use their power.

-       The power can come from the contextual sources of power. Power can be based in the context, situation, or environment in which negotiators take place.

Negotiators should treat power as the potential to alter the attitudes and behaviors of others that an individual brings to a given situation. Power is implicated in the use of many negotiation tactics, such as hinting to the other party that you have good alternatives (a strong BATNA) in order to increase your leverage. In general, people have power when they have “the ability to bring about outcomes they desire” or “the ability to get things done the way them to be done.”

N06: Communication

In a negotiation process, clear and effective communication is a must, in both verbal and nonverbal. To achieve negotiation goals and to resolve conflict between two parties, negotiators need to know that there are 5 different categories of communication that  negotiators could discuss. Firstly, The partied can exchange offers, counteroffers, and motives of each party. Secondly, the parties can share information to each other about alternatives to a negotiated agreement. The parties could share information on evaluations of success; outcomes or even their positive reactions to the outcomes. Also, the parties could discuss about ‘ social accounts’ which is explaining things to the other party. Lastly, negotiators can make a discussion about the negotiation process.

Language to use in a negotiation is also important. Negotiators need to communicate well and effectively. Negotiators need to use the language that make messages more credible and compelling, as well as showing “attending behavior”, their expressions, body language and tone of voice.

At last, to improve communication in negotiation, the parties have to know how to ask good questions to each other in order to get all needed information, and use those questions to turn difficult negotiations into an easy task. Negotiators have to listen the other party’s thoughts and feeling, priorities, preferences and importantly, understand other party’s more completely by using “role-reversal techniques” which is letting themselves to be in other’s position.

L05: Leadership Presentation

The skills of a leader are clearest when he/she is speaking whether internally to larger groups of employees or externally to the community. Through public speaking, individuals provide the innovative ideas that lead to change, participate in the dialogue that makes the organization grow, and bring attention to themselves and their abilities. Leaders engage in public speaking all the time. Therefore, leaders must become proficient in public speaking, comfortable and confident in all kinds of presentation situations so that they could project a positive ethos for themselves and their organization.

In this chapter, we will learn the step of developing presentation, Three “P’s” process: planning, preparing, and presenting. For a successful presentation, planning is a must.  Individual should first consider the context which helps frame the presentation, and define the purpose of presentation clearly and specifically. Also, individual needs to understand audiences he/she intends to approach so that he/she can choose the right medium to deliver the presentation with the logical structure.

After having a good planning, the preparation consists of developing the introduction, body, and conclusion to help leader to achieve the greatest impact to audience. Interestingly, adding appropriate graphics to a presentation could help individual reach every one easily. Furthermore, during the preparation, we have to ensure that our presentation will be delivered smoothly and flow logically from one to the other. As we know, practicing a presentation is often the key to delivering it successfully in front of audiences. All presenters need to find a practice method that works for them and make sure that they allow time for it.

During the presentation, individual needs to focus on the delivery style, make an eye contact to audience, show his/her comfort, confidence, enthusiasm, and professional look. Public Speaking is often considered one of greatest fears. Therefore, the most important method to overcome that fear is to be well prepared.

Lastly, the ethos determines the overall effect of our presentation. A leader must project a strong, positive ethos in all presentation situations. The best way to do that is to know the most on the subject and believe in what you are saying to the audiences and to be fully prepared. Be Yourself, Be Confident!

L04: Creating Written Leadership Communication

Not only having a clear purpose of communication, understanding the audiences, and having a good strategy would be enough to develop the successful communication; the leader needs to consider an effective medium to communicate with audiences. Different medium is appropriate for different situation. The context and the message we intend to send to audiences will guide us which medium is the best suited to use. For instance, if an organization aims to reach and spread words to mass audiences, the easy and fastest way to do so is to create a blog which is easily shared and create connection between the organization and audiences. However, the drawback of creating blog cannot ensure that the message reached the intended audiences. As a result, importantly, before choosing the right medium to communicate with audiences, the company has to clarify own purpose of communication, analyze who is the audience to make a connection with, and develop an effective communication strategy to reach them.

These days, communication through social media becomes so powerful. Social media are changing the face of communication across all industries. Social media can be an effective tool for an organization to build a customer-centric organization that not only communicates authentically but also listens to customers and learns from that interaction. It is important for a company to consider carefully how to approach social media and how to present the company in these very public, constantly changing spaces.

Either developing communication in the traditional way or through social network, the content needs to be organized coherently. We need to anticipate our audience’s response and stay focused on our purpose of communication. Besides, we should aim for the same directness and conciseness throughout the discussion. The statement needs to be easy to read, easy for reader to find what they need to know.

Lastly, formatting is important in creating a professional appearance for all of written communication. Nice formatting attracts readers to the documents and enhances the effective communication. Therefore, we need to ensure that written communication of all types are developed in an effective way and supports leadership communication.

N05: Perception, Cognition, and Communication

Not everyone realizes how the role of perception, cognition, and emotion has an influence on negotiation process. Perception and cognition are the basic building blocks of all social encounters, including negotiation, in the sense of that our social actions are guided by the way we perceive and analyze the other party, the situation, and our own interests and position.

The perception of negotiators is very important which could influence on their ability to interpret with accuracy what the other party is saying and meaning. Therefore, negotiators need to understand how information is perceived, filtered, distorted and framed, so that they can prepare themselves when dealing with those information as well as processing it more readily. The ‘framing’ idea is influential in negotiation because it’s about focusing, shaping and organizing the world around us.

Cognitive biases are errors when negotiators have during information process and tend to block negotiators performance. To handle wisely with misconception and cognitive biases, negotiators need to first be aware that these negative aspects which can possibly come up anytime. Furthermore, parties need to carefully develop discussion of the issues and preferences to help reduce the effects of perceptual biases. 

N04: Negotiation: Strategy and Planning

To avoid the problem, convince the other party to agree with what you want, and eventually accomplish in a negotiation, planning before having a negotiation is a must.

In this chapter, we are learning how negotiators can set goals and objectives clearly so that they can plan later the appropriate approach. Effective goals must be concrete, specific and measurable. As a result, it would be easier to communicate to the other party what we want, help us also understand what the other party want and determines if an offer satisfies our goals.

When having the concrete goals and objectives, negotiators must develop strategy. To do so, negotiators have to integrate plan with targets, policies, and action sequences. They have to ensure selecting effective strategies and tactics which are helpful to accomplish a negotiation purposes. For example, Active-Engagement strategies are often used when the main goal is to build and strengthen the relationship and the negotiator is willing to sacrifice the outcome.

Understanding the steps or flow in a negotiation also affects the success of negotiation. The parties need to understand first how negotiations are normally likely to evolve and why planning and developing appropriate strategy is so important.

To develop effective negotiation planning, there are several critical points negotiators need to concentrate on:

1. The parties have to define the issues which are needed to be discusses in the negotiation.
2. Negotiators have to assemble all the issues that have been defined and determined the most important ones.
3. Negotiators should define “interests” of both parties in order to achieve in the negotiation easily.
4. The parties have to know “a resistance point” where you feel that is acceptable and unacceptable, then prepare alternatives if needed.
5. Negotiators need to determine what outcome they would be comfortable with.
6. The parties need to assess constituents and the social context of the negotiation.
7. After knowing the planning process, it’s important to analyzing the other party as well. It is advantageous to prepare for a negotiation by gathering information about the other party, their issues, interests, resistant points, objectives, etc. So you can develop effective negotiation approach.

When negotiators are able to consider and evaluate these important factors, they will know how to proceed and accomplish the negotiation.

L03: The Language of Leaders

For leader, language is a tool of influence, lead and inspire others to take action. The essence of leadership communication is leader’s ability to influence audience positively. Leader needs to understand how to make an effective use of language as well as be confident in using the language. That confidence will resonate in the words and enhance his/her influence with all targeted audiences.

In this chapter, we are learning that in order to project a confident tone, leader needs to possess confident in both knowledge on the subject and in his/her ability to capture the content in the right words used in the right way. It is very important to know how best to use language for positive impact and to avoid a style that might create any negative responses in audiences. Leader needs to know how audiences perceived his/her writing style and tone. The more we can anticipate the audience’s response and hear how we sound to others, the better we will be able to control our tone and use it effectively to influence audiences.

Furthermore, besides creating a positive ethos, in order to make the language a positive tool in persuading others, make them trust and believe in his/her words, leader needs to make your communicating style persuasive, forceful and concise. Having said that, there are rules for writing style leaders can follow to make their communication not too wordy or too vague for audiences; the communication has to be meaningful and make a connection to audiences. Therefore, to develop effective communication, leader needs time to practice and learn how to develop the correct use of communication.

At last, most importantly before communicating words we prepare to audiences, leaders need to make an edit and proofread several times for the best communication. Read back over what you write to ensure that the words are clear and correct. 

L02: Leadership Communication Purpose, Strategy, and Structure

In the communication process, leaders need to determine two things to successfully reach the audiences: (1) determining the purpose, goals, or vision of what we want to achieve and (2) developing how best to achieve the purpose, goals or vision. In this chapter, we will learn the importance of having a clear communication purpose, why leader needs to develop a strategic leadership communication plan, how to analyze the audiences and how the leader could ensure that the messages are logically and appropriately organized for different audiences.

The first important step of leadership communication is a clear communication purpose. In each communication activity, leader needs to have a specific purpose of communication that wants audiences to respond: to inform, to persuade, to instruct, or to engage audiences.

Once specific purposes are developed, leaders may need to make sure that ideas are complete and they have enough information or thoughts about the subject. Tools that will help leaders gather ideas and information about the particular subjects are brainstorming, idea mapping or also called mind mapping, the journalists’ questions or tool of getting ideas for a story: Who? What? Why? When? Where?, and the decision tree. 

As defining the communication purpose, leader needs to determine how to achieve our communication objectives within the context surrounding the communication. Leaders have to know what is going on around them and consider the context of the messages they send, which is important to help them ensure that they create and develop the messages, so that audiences listen to and accept them as they intend.

The Communication Strategy Framework is an approach to developing a communication strategy that will ensure that leaders consider and anticipate issues that might interfere with communicating the message. Leaders need to consider each of the components in the framework: the purpose, messages, media/forum, timing, and communicator. Leaders can use the strategy framework to guide the analysis and frame the strategy. Leaders then develop an action plan and communicate to the audiences.

Since the characteristics of audiences will determine the approach and shape the targeted messages, leaders have to analyze the audiences in every communication situation and should approach each audience differently. Four approaches that leaders can use to analyze an audience are by expertise, by decision-making style, by medium, and by organizational context.

To summarize, leaders will accomplish the purpose of communication and result in the desire action if leaders can concentrate on clarifying messages, developing a communication strategy, knowing how to generate and organize ideas, and understanding the audiences so that they will reach different audiences. Effective communication strategy allows leaders to anticipate and more likely avoid the barriers and, therefore, eliminate the interferences that could prevent their messages from reaching their target audiences. 

N03: Strategy and Tactics of Integrative Negotiation

Besides distributive bargaining which produces a win-lose situation for parties, another form of negotiation to learn in this chapter that allows the win-win situation is Integrative Negotiation. Integrative bargaining is a form of negotiation in which the parties are able to define goals that allow both sides understand each other’s interest as well as achieve their objectives at the bottom line.

To be successful in integrative negotiation process, unlike the distributive bargaining situation, negotiators need to be willing to reveal their both sides true objectives and to listen to each other carefully to help identifying the problem. Also, both parties need to trust one another, manipulate information and attempt to learn about the other purely for their own competitive advantage. To help each other resolve the problem, parties also need to ensure that what the other obtains does not take away from the other side’s accomplishments. This bargaining strategy requires both negotiators to define both parties’ goals and search for solutions to pursue their own goals as well as satisfy both sides.

In this chapter, negotiators also learn various factors that help manage success integrative negotiation. These factors include as following:

-       Common goal or objectives, which both parties want to achieve.

-       Both parties must have faith in their ability of solving problem.

-       Parties must believe in their own and the other’s attitudes, interests, and desires.

-       Both parties must be motivated to collaborate rather than to compete.

-       Both parties must trust each other and maintain that trust.

-       The successful negotiation requires clear and accurate communication during exchanging information.

-       At last, the parties need to understand the dynamics of integrative negotiations 

N02: Strategy and Tactics of Distributive Bargaining

After learning about the process of negotiation, now negotiator needs to understand strategies and tactics of distributive bargaining in order to get a better deal.

Distributive bargaining is about compromise and accepting that not all negotiations can be in a win-win situation. It’s used when resources are fixed and limited, and parties are simply negotiating on price. It is often called competitive, or win-lose bargaining. In other words, in a distributive situation, the goals of one party are usually conflict with the goals of the other party. Every dollar that you reduce the price by or increase it by is simply a direct ‘win’ for you and a ‘lose’ for the other party.

The negotiation is for ‘claiming value’, therefore, in this chapter, negotiator will learn how to develop effective distributive bargaining process which requires careful planning, strong execution, and constant monitoring of the other party’s reaction. Also, negotiator will learn and understand these strategies to successfully reach the claiming value state of any negotiation and resolve the conflict without a problem. 

L01: What is Leadership Communication?

In the business world, leader is one of the most crucial persons who affect the success of the team. The group or organization carefully chooses leader to guide and be in command of others. A leader must be able to communicate effectively and have the skills to influence others to listen to what he/she is saying. Having a good communication skill is not an easy task. A leader needs to know how to develop effective communication which impacts on how the leader guide, direct, motivate or inspire others in the organization.

When individuals get ahead in business, he/she must be able to communicate, to make sound decisions, and to get things done with and through people. The leader also has to ensure that the communication is clear, context is understandable and the right medium is chosen.

In this chapter, we will get to know the leadership communication framework which will improve leader’s skill to become more effective from leader’s core skills. In the framework, the leader will learn to analyze the audiences and develop the communication strategy combined with good writing and speaking skill. This framework will also help the leader to master the skills at the core as well as expand those skills in order to lead and manage the groups. Eventually, the skills will enhance the successful delivery the messages.

Interestingly, although the leader will have good communication skills, positive leadership ethos is also very important to successfully develop effective communications and influence others. Ethos can be described as the ability and the character of the leader to persuade others and influence the audiences. The confidence, the credibility, and the ability to induce others to listen to his/her communications are a must. It is important that a leader knows how to build a positive ethos and develop a good character which makes him/her more persuasive. Positive ethos can affect leader’s success in delivering the messages as well as induce the audiences to believe and trust what leader’s saying. Although it may be difficult for a business leader to be perceived as honest and trustworthy, after practicing, the leader will understand that the ethos is very helpful and can be the most persuasive tool for leader to become effective communicators. 

N01: Nature of Negotiation

What do people need to do to avoid a conflict and get the most effective result for the issues?

Conflict always occurs when people are dependent on each other. They either expect the same goal and work towards the same direction, or expect different goal and work towards different direction. Conflict could be “intrapersonal” which when individual disagrees with him/herself, “interpersonal” which when individual conflicts with others in the group, “intragroup” which when a conflict happens within a group, or “intergroup” which when a conflict occurs between parties.

To manage the conflict, people need to know how to negotiate with each other.

Negotiation is an approach of trying to find a mutually acceptable solution for individuals to a complex conflict. Negotiation can occur all the time for several reasons between spouses, parents and children, roommates, managers and staff, employers and employees, within and between organizations. Therefore, when people are dependent on each other, to avoid problems within the group, it is very important to understand and recognize a negotiation situation so that they know how to deal with, plan, complete successful negotiation and get the most effective result.

To get a successful negotiation, firstly, individual needs to be able to recognize a negotiation so that the situation can be handled wisely. Negotiation situation’s characteristics as following:

1. Of course! A person doesn’t need to negotiate if there is only him/herself. Negotiation situation includes two or more individuals.
2. People don’t need a negotiation if they do not have a conflict of needs and desires. My mom and my interests conflict all the time because she always want me to do what I think it not necessary. Our best result is “Negotiation”.
3. People negotiate because they think there would be a better deal. And they expect “give-and-take” process, which mean the other side will change their position and agree to what they propose.
4. A negotiation situation searches for agreement between individual.

As I mentioned, people who are in a negotiation situation are interdependent. They need each other to reach their preferred outcomes. Therefore, when they are dependent on each other, they need to figure out how to resolve the differences between them. Right!!! Negotiation is important to help them create mutual adjustment so one side can transform the other side opinion.

Besides avoiding the conflict, negotiation is also for to “claim value” and “create value”. In other words, to claim value is when people do whatever is important to gain the largest piece possibility. Also, to create value is when people find a way for all individuals to meet their goal and satisfy with the result.

At last, negotiators need to understand how conflict is functional and dysfunctional. Therefore, they need to recognize and understand the negotiation situation so that they can figure out how to make a compromise with others in the group. 

Letter of Introduction.

Dear Ms Rippel,

My name is Bussakrin Wattanaweerachai. My nickname is Nan. I’m an international student at Lincoln University. I’m from Thailand. My major is International Business. This semester is my second semester. I graduated from Kasetsart University in Bangkok which is a capital city of Thailand. My major was Political Science. The reason that makes me want to study about business is having my own business.

I was born in a small city which is called Sisaket. It is located in North East of Thailand. My family has 6 members; my dad, my mom, my 2 brothers, me, and my dog. But my dog, Rocky, he just passed away 2 days ago. We love to do outdoor activity together when we have a chance. Our family love sports, when I was in high school, I was a basketball player. After I finished my high school, I decided to do my bachelor’s degree in university in Bangkok. That makes my life away from my family. But my parents always came to visit me every 2 months. That was why I have never felt lonely.

I got a chance to work in event company as production-co for 1 year before I decide to come to Us to study my master’s degree. I gained many experiences from working there. It taught me to be strong because I had to face with real problems while I was working there.

My life in Thailand compares with my life in US is not much different for me because I have been living by myself since I left from my hometown in order to study so I don’t have a problem from adapting myself to new environment. But the toughest thing is how to communicate with people whom speak different language from me. If I could speak English fluently, it will help me a lot in the future. This is all about myself and I am glad to be in your class.

                                                          Sincerely Yours

                                              Bussakrin Wattanaweerachai.

About Me

Name: Bussakrin

Lastname: Wattanaweerachai

Nickname: Nan

Date of Birth: Aug 25