[Partnerwerks TeamWisdom Tips] Negotiation Tip #4
NEGOTIATION TIP #4: ARGUE FOR A THIRD PARTY
10-Second TeamWisdom: Distributive
negotiators limit authority to over-power
you. Integrative negotiators use limited
authority to empower their constituency.
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Remember, "Distributive" negotiators:
- assume they are dividing a scarce pie,
- adopt a win/lose mindset, and
- intend to grab the bigger slice.
"Integrative" negotiators:
- assume they are problem solving in an
opportunity-filled universe,
- adopt a win/win mindset, and
- intend to expand the perceived pie.
Distributive negotiators love a ploy called
"limited authority." You know this one: You
submit an offer to a sales person who
disappears "to get the manager's approval."
Ten minutes later, he returns and says the
sales manager is holding out for more. The
salesman claims he's representing your
interests, but in his "limited" authority,
he's actually representing the sales manager,
not you.
Swap the sales manager and sales person in
this example for other decision makers and
gate keepers at work and it's easy to see how
widely this tactic is used in organizations,
isn't it!
How can you deal with this ploy? (1) You
could martyr yourself by deciding you are
powerless to do anything and settle for
what's being offered. But please don't. (2)
You could stoop to playing their game and say
you "have to" take the salesman's offer to an
absent party (like your spouse, parent,
business partner, etc...), but that's often a
disempowering move too. (3) Or, you
can respond from integrity to the
person-in-the-middle by saying, "Well, if I'm
really negotiating with the sales manager and
not you, let's both go see her so we don't
waste any more time in getting everyone's
interests met!"
You CAN negotiate powerfully for a third
party from an integrative frame.
Integrative negotiators become extremely
tough bargainers when we believe so much in
our team or project that we negotiate for
THEIR sake, not for OURS. To do this, apply
Partnerwerks principle of empowerment: Never
commit your team unless you are confident
your team will support your decision.
Here's an illustration. Say your team has
painstakingly worked out a project plan that
requires more resources than budgeted. When
you represent the team's request to your
manager for more resources he says, "No," and
asks you to commit to making the team get the
job done with the limited resources (the old
"If you can't make 'em do it...!").
Instead of saying "OK, I'll try," knowing
you'll be unsuccessful, you can argue for the
third party (your team): "I value my team's
analysis and believe you should too. I'd be
two-faced to go back to them and try to
convince them our analysis wasn't valid. Even
if I did that--and IF the team didn't push
back on you--they still wouldn't put their
hearts into the project. So, you and I have
a problem to solve if this project is truly
important to you. I'm willing to keep
exploring alternatives if you are"
You can do this.
Remember, the distinct difference is whether
you use limited authority to keep an opponent
at arms length, or limit your own authority
out of loyalty to a group you represent.
Get started with this week's 5-Minute
Practice Tip.
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5-Minute Practice Tip:
Recall the last time someone used limited
authority to over-power you. Did you call
them on it and invite them to step up to
integrative negotiating? If not, why not?
Now, re-imagine the situation as one in which
you took an integrative approach. How would
the situation have turned out differently?
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© Christopher Avery, 1999-2004. Permission
granted to forward in its entirety. All other
rights reserved. Contact for reprint
permission.
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Quotable: If you are planning on doing
business with someone again, don't be too
tough in the negotiations. If you're going to
skin a cat, don't keep it as a house cat.
~ Marvin S. Levin
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