Resolving Conflict with Negotiation

Every organization will from time to time have internal and external disagreements. These conflicts may be simple differences of opinions and interpretations of events, or be a more widespread discussion over policy or budget priorities. Our initial reaction to most conflict is often stress and anxiety. While the stress can positively stimulate growth, it usually creates negative work conditions. Fight or flight is often the initial reaction to unpleasant friction in the workplace. Fight generally prolongs and expands conflict; flight ignores the problem, hoping that the unpleasantness and underlying issues will just go away.

Parties enter a negotiation with the intent to capture as many of their ideas and plans through a system of "verbal barter." Obviously this verbal barter—the debate of ideas, plans, and desired outcomes—focuses on each party getting what they think is best. In reality, rarely, if ever, does either party get all that it desired in a negotiated settlement.

For negotiation to be effective, everyone in the agency has to abide by the guidelines of trust, honesty, and maturity throughout the process. Guided dialogue, within a proper framework, is an excellent management tool that seeks the best possible course of action or decision after all perspectives are weighed. An overriding consideration for entering any negotiation demands that for meaningful impact to take place, a general "no shortcuts" rule must be honored. I offer the following suggestions as a checklist for successful negotiating.

The Rules of Engagement

1. Just the Facts Ma'am

Nothing is as important for setting the stage for purposeful negotiation than getting the facts. Getting the facts requires getting all the information that relates to the issue being considered. Common questions to be answered may include:

• Is the information current?
• Is the information source reliable?
• What are the issues of conflict?
• What parties are involved?

Incorrect or incomplete information will have a damaging effect on meaningful success. In fact, any negotiation based on flawed information is doomed at the onset. The energy expended initially to gather the facts is well spent, as it provides the framework for lasting and valid negotiation.

2. Give and Take

Negotiation is a give and take process. Understand at the onset:

• What is indeed negotiable?
• What options can I bring to the discussion?
• What are potential fall-back positions?

All three questions need our input or a plan to address the answers. Our responses to these three questions will provide a great deal of potential flexibility, the give and take to the negotiation. Black and white responses won't work. The art of negotiation, the whole process, is elastic. The more abundant the responses to the above questions, the more flexibility you bring to the process, and the better the outcomes.

3. Stick to the Issue

Throughout the negotiation process, always keep focused on the issue or issues on the table. Use an agenda designed to keep the pertinent issues on the table and stick to it. At the same time we want to stay on topic, we want to make sure we discuss it completely. It is helpful to maintain a working list of all the topics, or talking points. Even the best attempts at negotiation can be derailed or rendered invalid if we fail to keep all related issues open for discussion. Leave no loose ends!

4. Know What you Want

Have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, how you wish to proceed, and what the best outcome would look like. Determine in advance a "game plan" that lays out your opening moves, your data, feelings, and desires. In turn, the respectful negotiator acknowledges the data, feelings, and desires of the other participating parties in the negotiation process.

5. It's Not Personal

Personalizing disagreements are all too common. The very issue of communication and information sharing is quite personal in itself, so this is an expected correlation. Finger pointing and "you" statements in any negotiating environment may derail any real chance of reaching meaningful settlement for either side. Focus on the issue not the personality; demonizing and condescending behavior will immediately shut down any chance of meaningful communication. In personalized conflict there is a high chance of escalating the friction, reducing any real chance of settlement.

6. Choose Your Battles Well

Determine what is important, necessary, and critical. There is potential for many little "battles" in the workplace. Ask yourself:

• How important is this issue?
• Should I spend the energy or time over this minor conflict?
• Is this an isolated conflict?
• Is this issue part of something larger that could be addressed at another time and place?

Choosing battles takes a good dose of common sense and maturity on everyone's part. Many larger conflicts arise out of smaller points of friction, either ignored or blown out of proportion due to inaction (flight doesn't work!). Many issues can be managed on a one-at-a-time basis long before bigger conflicts arise.

7. Now? Timing is Key

Knowing when to engage is also an important consideration. Timing can be as critical as any other negotiation component. Sometimes picking the right time may be the sole element that determines success. Some of us are better than others at "reading the person or the moment."

The best environment for negotiation is as far away from disruption and distraction as possible. An important social skill is knowing when to ask or challenge. Engaging in debate or hoping to initiate negotiation in a highly charged, stressful environment is risky. We need to be prepared, armed with the information needed to present our interests, if we are going to successfully negotiate.

Mediated Negotiation

There may be situations when it may be necessary to have an unbiased third party guide or referee the negotiation. This may be the case in more involved discussions when facts are disputed or when a personality is indeed the focal point of friction.

Mediated negotiation, or more simply mediation, is the management tool that binds differing parties in a formal communication environment. There have been many books and articles written about mediation and at the end of this article is a list of resources you can access. Briefly, the mediator's role is to actively enforce the rules of engagement, seek consensus, and ultimately guide the course of negotiation to its logical outcome.

Mediation demands trust, honesty, and maturity for success. When used effectively mediation is indeed a powerful management approach to seeking consensus in conflict-charged atmospheres within agencies and when we advocate in the community.

Resources

Condeluci, Al. (2002). Cultural Shifting, Community Leadership and Change. St. Augustine, Florida: Training Resource Network, Inc.

Fisher, Roger and Ury, William. (1983). Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. New York: Penguin Books.

Griffin, Cary. (1998). Working Better, Working Smarter: Six Stages of Organizational Development. St. Augustine, Florida: Training Resource Network, Inc.

Heyman, Richard. (1994) Why Didn't You Say that in the First Place? How to be Understood at Work. San Francisco: Josey-Bass Publishers.

Kaye, Beverly and Jordan-Evans, Sharon. (2002). Love 'Em or Lose 'Em, Getting Good People to Stay. Scranton: Pennsylvania: Career Systems International.

Wycoff, Joyce and Richardson, Tim. (1995). Transformation Thinking: Tools & Techniques that Open the Door to Powerful New Thinking. East Rutherford, New Jersey: Berkely Publishing Corporation.

This Rural Factsheet was prepared by Mike Flaherty, Project Director
The Rural Institute
52 Corbin Hall, The University of Montana
Missoula, MT 59812
(406) 243-4619
mcf@ruralinstitute.umt.edu