Reflective on Negotiation Essay Example

was totally different in the second role play. Compared to the first one, I had a clear goal about the negotiation and the other person in the manger role was patient and considerate. I sought sympathy from the manager by my experience as a single mother, and fortunately, he offered me understanding and trust. From my point of view, this was a win-win strategy because his support made me more likely to be motivated to work harder. When talking about the safety issue, both of us have a favorable impression on each other, which made the following negotiation more smooth. Finally, we used the exchange to reach an agreement, which was I would wear the safety
glasses and the manager would change the uncomfortable glasses into high-quality ones.

It was evident that the two persons in the manager role behaved differently and used distinctive tactics. Hence, we could choose the suitable influence tactics inconsistent with the occasions, characteristics of opponents. Apart from the tactics, I realized that it is essential to first determine the goals and needs before engaging in negotiations.

Comparisons and connections between theory and practice

Throughout the lecture and my prior knowledge, I identified that the influence tactics are obviously relevant to negotiation and they can be utilized in a variety of ways in negotiation. Looking back the activity, it enabled me to have a better understanding of these important techniques and skills as certain tactics my opponents and I may use were examined at the negotiating table. I only used the tactics that I was familiar with and I had no awareness of using other tactics such as avoidance.

Before the activity, I assumed that I could spend a large amount of time trying to persuade the opponent to agree to the desired outcomes, however, the manager in the first round was direct and interrupted me several times. I was totally affected by the interruption because I could not explain the reasons by the planned logic, thus I became passive and less confident. In a real life situation, these cases may occur accounting to limited time and unpredictable things.

From the second round, I recognized that I preferred the emotional influence as it could positively influence the other party’s attitude towards a given idea, thus the negotiator may more easily acquire approval, particularly for the female or those who are sensitive and emotional. Behaviors such as sharing information and trusting could contribute to an agreement that incorporates and meets the needs of both sides. In generally, negotiation skills are not generic and vary according to different time and place. Therefore, I would adjust my negotiation style across circumstances and in response to the opponent’s style.

Actions and improvements

Without successful negotiation, we may not continue a relationship and resolve issues, thus, developing one’s negotiation skills would be of great benefit. Based on the learnings from the lecture and role play activity, I
plan to take certain actions to enhance my negotiation skills， especially in order to make preparations for my future career. To begin with, communication skill is closely associated with negotiation because it can largely make the negotiation more effective and productive. I would pay more attention to not only the expression but also the non-verbal communication in the daily conversations.

For example, I will notice my habits when discussing with others such as body language, eye contact, and clarity of words.

Furthermore, I would practice at each opportunity in everyday life and become aware of commonly used negotiation tactics. As mentioned previously, the utility of influence tactics may affect the outcomes of the negotiation. We students often have a variety of negotiations in the process of group assignments such as task allocation and making an appointment. I would learn to assess my negotiation style and apply the behaviors of superior negotiators in a practical way. That could serve a positive function for my teamwork or cooperating with my colleagues in the future. Additionally, the knowledge and abundant experience is beneficial to supporting the evidence when negotiating.

In summary, successful negotiation could maximize the outcomes of all the parties involved. I could understand my strengths and weakness from the evaluation of two negotiations in the activity. I would execute the action plans to learn to negotiate effectively and creatively.