Summary of Implementing Strategies in Extreme Negotiations

The topic of the article “Implementing Strategies on Extreme Negotiations” is a conversation between the hosts HBR and guest Jeff Weiss and Jonathan Hughes. The article explains the principles of a negotiation, preparation for a negotiation, strategies or tactics to apply during a negotiation and develop negotiation skills to apply strategies.

A negotiation is “extreme” when risks and danger to threats are too high. In such, situations it is important to remember the principles of negotiating, moreover, principles are similar to strategies. Motivating the other party, use facts for convincing, construct and evaluate an innovative yet fair solution.

Understanding the other party’s requirement and negotiating tactically is, emphasized, rather than reacting immediately. Understanding the requirement and motivation of the other party involves a few steps. Firstly brainstorm possible motives, secondly assume certain hypothesis and finally test the other party. This will give way to come up with a solution for a win-win. Moreover in scenarios where the expectations of the other party is too high, unexpected and without a warning, it is important to keep cool and question in a way that traps the other party to answer and feel awkward if not answered.

No matter how experienced a negotiator is, preparation plays a vital role to a negotiation’s outcome. The article provides a seven-element checklist to prepare strategically.

1. 1.      Consider the interest of all the parties involved in the negotiation. It could be our own, the other party’s or a third party’s interest.
2. 2.      Look into the alternatives also known as the BATNA abbreviation of Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement.
3. 3.      Brainstorm solutions that all parties can agree to.
4. 4.      Think of standards to validate solutions.
5. 5.      Identify the commitments that parties can make.
6. 6.      Rank the relationship based on importance
7. 7.      Come up with a communication plan

To come with a BATNA there are 3 operations; firstly invent a list of actions, secondly improve some good ideas and convert them into practical options and lastly select the best solution as the BATNA.

Develop negotiation skills to use strategies

Individual Negotiator	The Firm as a Negotiator
Prepare using the seven element checklist	Standardize a negotiation process
Practice in a low risk negotiation, develop a birds-eye view of the problem	Make preparation and review the parts of the process
Review by evaluating the good and bad in a particular negotiation	Develop common tools and methods that the whole firm follows as a unit.
Get Feedback from an observer to evaluate yourself	Send consistent Messages by making sure the result of negotiation is clearly, explained to the negotiator.
Teach and coach others to keep in touch

The strategies prescribed in the article are similar to principles of a negotiation. The strategies; get the picture, uncover and collaborate and elicit genuine buy-in are similar when in action. The strategies focus on the other party’s requirement, involves researching the other party, getting the truth out and equating a win-win solution. The strategy to build trust first is ideal to a mistrust or misunderstood scenario leading to a negotiation. The strategy to focus on process means to change the tone of the negotiation and focus on the real problem.

Conclusively, most of the strategies prescribed in the article cater to certain scenarios and requires a balance of tough and soft negotiator characteristic. In fact, most of the examples given in the article denies, immediate, aggressive and disrespectful reaction when in crunch situation and encourages digging deep, exercising empathy and coming up with innovative solutions.