Negotiating Skills For Teams

Negotiating Skills for Teams

More frequently than ever before, work teams are being called upon to negotiate on behalf of their own best interests. Today's teams are expected to negotiate with other teams and individuals in order to obtain the best deal for themselves. Professional development guru Brian Tracy lists "14 Characteristics of Successful Negotiators" that can be used to develop a negotiation mindset in your team.

1. A team who continuously looks for creative ways to better the price, the terms, or the situation at hand.
2. A team who views the process of negotiation as a life long process. Seldom is any issue fully and permanently negotiated.
3. A team who uses bargaining, trading, and compromising in all interactions with other people and understands that you always have to give in order to get.
4. A team who views the process of negotiation as an ongoing, never-ending process of interaction with other people.
5. A team who is open-minded, adaptive, agile, and creative.
6. A team who is willing to consider all types of options and possibilities.
7. A team who avoids taking fixed positions.
8. A team who is fluid, flexible and quick to identify mutual goals.
9. A team who looks for areas of compromise early on in order to get off to a smooth start.
10. A team who is cooperative, rather than competitive.
11. A team who continuously seeks collaborative solutions.
12. A team who looks for benefits for all parties.
13. A team who looks for newer, easier, innovative and unusual solutions for all parties to get what they want.
14. A team who is honest, direct and non-manipulative.

Teams that become proficient at negotiating never assume anything, including the idea that the person or team they are negotiating with wants to work out a solution. They persistently go after the facts and don't hesitate to ask questions. The team that learns to negotiate effectively on its own behalf will be the team to who goes the spoils.