BUS641: Strategic Negotiations and Conflict Management

In a negotiation, it is important to determine needs from the perspective of both sides of the conflict. This may be done in an initial meeting by simply asking what each side needs and, perhaps ideally, what they might want from the negotiation. It is very important to use good listening skills during this time because sometimes, one side may not have a good understanding of the situation, or perhaps they may not be able to articulate what they need, and only through listening will it begin to make sense. By listening, and then recapping that conversation, and asking for any clarification, then both sides can then determine if this is an issue that can be resolved.

In business today, a common complaint may be about employees' workload. Some employees who are perhaps more efficient with their time (or have additional time to spend) may be given additional work as a result, while the workload of other departmental employees remains the same. The employee who has taken on this additional work may not be compensated for the additional work, but perhaps a manager will favor that employee when it comes to better assignments or schedules. Is this fair to the employee whose workload is larger? Is it fair to the remaining employees who are not offered additional opportunities? Or perhaps, do the other employees appreciate that someone else has taken on additional responsibilities, as long as they do not have to complete extra work?

What if one of your team members complains that he has a larger workload than the rest of the team and wants to be compensated for that workload? What if the other employees complain that one employee is treated differently or has better opportunities than they do?

By discussing these issues openly and asking everyone on your team questions, you may be able to determine what is best for the team. You may need to speak with each team member individually to determine each employee's needs and those of the group overall. If your employer does not compensate employees for completing additional work, it may be your responsibility to ensure that work is given out equally to team members and that no employees are given additional favors because of the work they complete.

Sometimes, after these initial conversations, it may become clear that what each side needs does not conflict with the other, and the matter can easily be settled. For example, at one team meeting, one employee complains that they have too much work to do, and another responds that the work they are being asked to do differs from the rest of the team. After speaking to several employees, you discover that the employee who complained they have too much work to do is not working efficiently and has the same workload as everyone else. This person may need additional training in how to work more efficiently. Through asking questions, you also discover that the second employee's complaint about completing additional work that others are not doing is true because the employee is completing work that is no longer required. Additional training for this employee may also be needed. This is a situation that, on the surface, appeared to be a conflict, but after asking specific questions, you were able to determine and resolve the issues individually.

When the needs of both sides conflict with each other, the true negotiation process begins. An example of this may be two employees arguing over job responsibilities. Each believes the other is responsible for a specific task; in the meantime, the task is not being completed, which can cause issues with other departments. Listening to each employee, involving human resources, and gathering information about the jobs and specific duties may be required to resolve this issue. Human resources would need to be involved because this involves job duties. Job descriptions may need to be updated after the negotiation is complete.

Every negotiation is different and will require flexibility when listening, researching, and resolving the issue. Not every negotiation will be the same, which will become clear the more often you need to utilize your negotiation skills. Most of your negotiations will occur between team members, and depending on needs, could occur every day, week, or month. The more efficiently you can handle the negotiation, the better you will become in your management position.

Source: Saylor Academy
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