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Negotiation can be described as the act of conferring in order to reach an agreement. As such, It is an essential requirement of organisational life, an important activity for all Administrative Managers and not something to worry about! Negotiations may involve securing a discount from a supplier, agreeing key aspects of service delivery with a customer, agreeing reasonable workloads with administrative team members or resolving conflict between administrative staff or between the administrative function and 'customers' within the organisation.
Effective negotiation Is an important skill for all members of an organisation. It requires situational awareness, empathy, astute judgment, the ability to create effective social networks, excellent communications skills and just a little bit of planning. It Is therefore very much akin to assertiveness, where aggressive behaviour (at the one end of the spectrum) or passiveness (at the other) is probably best avoided.
There are three distinct stages In a negotiation situation: pre-negotiation, during the negotiation and post-negotiation.
Pre-Negotiation
Like many managerial activities, prior preparation is a key requirement of successful negotiation as it is important to determine the objectives. For important negotiations, take time to think what the best possible outcomes might be, what outcomes would be acceptable (which will probably require an element of compromise) and what outcomes would be unacceptable (perhaps because they would be detrimental to the personal position of the individual manager or the broader administrative function).
In your preparation, It Is also helpful to consider the position of other...