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.