As the title would suggest, “Improving Negotiation Skills” covers a broad range of principles and competencies relevant to successful negotiation. While all of them are practically valuable and applicable to real-life situations, some parts stand out the most. One such part is the point that the article makes early on, noting that everything is negotiable, and negotiations do not stop until a conclusion has been reached (“Negotiations Skills,” 2018). It means that, at the hands of an experienced negotiator, every action, no matter how uncompromising it may seem, can be a negotiation tactic. This is certainly an important fact to keep in mind in future negotiations.
Speaking of future negotiations, the article also covers areas that can merit improvement. In my case, this area would be what the article describes as rule 3.4: planning to make concessions in advance and using t to trigger reciprocity (“Negotiations Skills,” 2018). While I endorse this principle wholeheartedly, I have trouble framing concessions in a way that would make the opposing side more willing to reciprocate and make concessions of their own in response.
Rule 2, which encompasses the principles of effective communication, is particularly important. As the article notes, negotiation is impossible without communication, and effective communication is not a given. First and foremost, it is crucial to develop effective channels of communication, and the article advises to be cooperative and try to put oneself in the opposing side’s shoes (“Negotiations Skills,” 2018). At the same time, it reminds us that building rapport should not be an excuse for letting one’s guard down (“Negotiations Skills,” 2018). In short, the rules pertaining to communication are important because they describe the tricky balancing act between finding common ground with the opposing negotiator and surrendering too much of this ground.
Reference
Improving negotiation skills: Rules for master negotiators. (2018). FindLaw. Web.