Negotiation Partners alumni know that there are nine fundamentally different ways to achieve agreement or resolve conflict.

Understanding how and when to use each of the nine techniques is the hallmark of a skilled and versatile negotiator.

Importantly, there are no ‘good' or 'bad' techniques.  Each has its uses, advantages and disadvantages.  The effectiveness of any given approach depends on two key factors:

  • how effectively it addresses the specific situation, and

  • how skilfully it is being used.

As part of our Professional Negotiation Skills program, we teach participants to choose the most appropriate techniques and to apply them skilfully.

Over the next few weeks, we will post a snapshot of each technique, starting with the much maligned approach of IMPOSING YOUR WILL.

Featured
ASKING
ASKING

Simply asking or requesting for what they want is the preferred way to achieve an outcome for about 1.8%.

NEGOTIATING
NEGOTIATING

Only about 2.4% of the over 2500 international middle and senior managers in our benchmark group prefer to use negotiation to achieve the outcome they want.

CONCEDING
CONCEDING

Conceding is the preferred way to deal with conflict situations for about 8.7%.

COMPROMISING
COMPROMISING

About 22.6% of over 2500 international middle and senior managers in our benchmark group prefer compromise to other techniques for resolving conflict.

DELAY or AVOIDING CONFLICT
DELAY or AVOIDING CONFLICT

Delay and avoidance are the preferred ways to respond to conflict for about 7.9%.

PROBLEM SOLVING
PROBLEM SOLVING

Problem solving engages both sides to work together to identify the problem.

REFERRING CONFLICT
REFERRING CONFLICT

Escalating conflict to a higher authority for resolution is often a last resort when parties have reached deadlock.

PERSUASION
PERSUASION

Persuasion is the preferred way to achieve an outcome for about 18.6%.

IMPOSING YOUR WILL
IMPOSING YOUR WILL

Making demands, compelling action or enforcing compliance can be useful.