Negotiation techniques that create resolution, not conflict

Magna Publications News Release

Madison, Wis.—November 30, 2010—Have you ever been persuaded by being insulted, contradicted, or shouted down? Most people have not, and that is why most people respond better to solving problems through negotiation. According to C.K. Gunsalus, director of the National Center for Professional and Research Ethics and professor emeriti at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, academic administrators can develop successful negotiation skills by learning to layer professional skills over their own personalities and reactions.

Negotiation is a voluntary process between two or more parties to handle conflict with a preference for resolution. It is a process of give and take that is driven by the information and values in play and affected by the personalities involved. The “silver bullets” of negotiation are: preparation, communication, and knowing yourself and your goals.

Preparation:
Gunsalus identifies five key components of preparation, specifically:

• Explore the issues
• Identify interests – yours and the other party’s
• Brainstorm
• Establish ambitious but realistic goals and aspirations
• Develop principled supporting reasons

As you go through these steps, ask yourself if you have conceived of your interaction as a negotiation, if you have thought about your interests and those of others, and if you have a plan.

Communication
Many inexperienced negotiators jump straight into the give and take of negotiation without laying the foundation or closing the conversation, Gunsalus says. She notes that successful negotiation has five main stages:

• Opening, to set the tone and build rapport
• Information gathering
• Value creating
• Value claiming
• Closing and consolidating

Overall, the success of a negotiation can be increased in almost all cases by asking more questions. Gunsalus suggests asking questions to be sure that you understand the issues and motivations, to explore places where trade-offs are possible, and to find common ground in reputation and ethics. All of these things can help keep the negotiators in a positive frame of mind, and good moods, she says, promote creative thinking and openness to new ideas. By employing Gunsalus’s negotiation techniques, a good outcome for all parties is possible.

If you missed the seminar and would like to purchase it for your institution, you can order the program in CD or print transcript format, both of which include the presenters' handouts.

Magna Publications is a leading publisher of newsletters and other information products in the higher education segment. Magna also manages onsite and online conferences on topics of interest to higher education.< /p>

For more information please contact David Burns, Publisher, Magna Publications, Inc., at 608-227-8109, or dburns@magnapubs.com.