What are negotiations? Many people mainly associate with the effort to convince the another organization to their own viewpoint. It's a common but erroneous knowing of this process. Scotwork experts – an organization specializing in negotiation training – argue that negotiations are not a conflict for arguments, but a joint search for an agreement based on a gradual exchange of concessions.
According to the Polish language dictionary, negotiations can be understood as talks conducted by authorized representatives of the parties to the conflict or as bargaining with the seller by a lower price or more favourable acquisition terms. However, specified definitions are vague and leave area for interpretation. This in turn makes a large part of us not full realize precisely what the negotiations are about and believes that the core is to convince the another organization to a certain point of view.
– From our perspective, negotiations are erstwhile the parties are curious in reaching an agreement and ready for concessions. In this context, negotiations become a conversation that is not about changing the worldview of the another side, but about knowing what is crucial to it and what would be willing to give in return for what we care about. Only in this way can both sides walk distant from the table with the feeling that they achieved precisely what they wanted – without having to quit the values that are crucial to each other – says Waldemar Nogas, Scotland negotiating expert.
Practice makes perfect
It is worth noting that there is no single negotiating method that works always and everywhere. Regardless of whether it is buying a house, negotiating contract terms or establishing a team, the negotiation process – understood as a series of conscious actions, decisions and exchanges of information – is, however, universal.
– Negotiation is art, not science. It's a delicate substance that requires sensitivity and practice. The success results from the ability of the negotiator to usage negotiating skills and techniques. It is besides crucial to prepare decently – making proposals that will be attractive to the another side of the conflict and managing concessions accordingly. Any decision the negotiator makes – which information to disclose, what to give up, erstwhile to make a proposal – affects the negotiation dialog and the final result of the talks – saysScotland expert, Jacek Straw. – This is why during our training, participants will not only learn circumstantial negotiating techniques, but besides learn how to apply them in practice, investigating different approaches and learning to make the right decisions in a changing context. – adds.
Competence of the future
Negotiating skills are 1 of the most crucial soft competences in today's business environment. Organizations present collide with various interests, both outside and within interior structures, which may jeopardise relations with their employees, contractors or partners. The ability to deal with emerging conflicts thus becomes something that straight affects the company's ability to compete and its position on the market.
– Companies want to invest in the improvement of negotiating skills. That's a very affirmative forecast. However, there are organisations that abstain from investing in developing negotiating skills due to bad experiences in the past – the effects of specified training are hard to measure, which can lead to the belief that they do not have any effect. specified reasoning is simply a mistake that can be a serious obstacle to the company’s development – emphasises Jacek Słoma – W Scotwork has been conducting an evaluation of our training programs for years, so as to convince companies with hard data about the legitimacy of specified training. Our data shows that as shortly as 90 days after the end of the training, companies evidence an average 16-time return on investment – which translates into real, frequently million-dollar profits in contracts negotiated by participants – adds.
For 50 years Scotland supports managers and organisations worldwide in developing negotiating skills that translate into better business outcomes. The company operates in 46 countries, and its unique methodology, based on the analysis of actual negotiations, allows participants to immediately implement fresh techniques in regular work.
