Negotiation Skills Training: Getting Ready For And Getting Involved In Complicated Negotiations Using Best Practice Preparation Techniques

The critical negotiation skill required to unlock the best value from complex negotiation situations is to identify and understand the interests of all the players impacted by or participating in the negotiation. In some cases, it is easy to understand both the positions & interests of stakeholders in the negotiation. In most cases, however, it is not only tricky to identify the interests of stakeholders; it is also difficult to identify all the key players.

How to negotiate in complex, multi-party negotiations?

1. Identify all the stakeholders in the complex negotiation

This may be stating the obvious but in practice, it is often difficult to spot and keep track of all the stakeholders in a negotiation. In a business environment, we should at least attempt to identify the following stakeholders:

a. Financial stakeholders

These are the individuals or groups that will finance, support or lend authorisation to conclude an agreement based on the monetary terms proposed. It is important to identify all potential parties that may have an interest in the purely financial aspects of the negotiation.

b. User/consumer stakeholders

These are the people or groups that will implement and support the outcome of the agreement that is reached. These are the stakeholders that will live and work with the output of the negotiations on a day to day basis.

c. Technical & legal stakeholders

These are the parties or groups that will agree to and approve the technical and contractual dimensions of the negotiations.

d. Guides/Gurus & other Influencers

These are the people or groups that hold substantial influence over the central decision makers involved in the negotiation.

2. Identify the interests of each stakeholder in the negotiation

There are basically two ways to identify an individual or group's interest in a negotiation. The 1st way is to put yourself in that individual or group's shoes and to attempt to see things from his/her/their perspective. What supporting information would you require? What precedents would apply? What assumptions can you make, and test? The second way is to ask the individual or group a number of questions to help you (and them) to accurately identify their key interests. The most useful question to ask is "Why?" "Why is this negotiation important to you? Why are you assuming this position? Why are these options being explored?"

3. Create a frame that is appropriate for each stakeholder

Having identified the interests of each stakeholder party, you should now create the appropriate frame. Different people take decisions for different reasons. It is not appropriate to highlight the same points to support decision making to all stakeholders. You should focus on communicating the most appropriate frame to each participant or potential stakeholder.

4. Create an effective management structure for the negotiation

If our counter parties think of us as rational, the odds are significantly enhanced that they will also react to us in a rational fashion. We can only present a unified and rational 'front' if we have considered the roles & responsibilities within our negotiation team. Split the focus in the team between those that will manage the Relationship dimensions, and those that will manage or be involved in the Task related aspects.

Negotiation skills training teaches us to create an agenda that addresses the interests of all potential participants. A successful way to simplify complex business negotiations is to add structure. We need to focus on the process elements to ensure that we move forward at every level of the negotiation. You will find that complexity can be managed with the use of an appropriate supporting structure.

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