We Have a Deal: How to Negotiate with Intelligence, Flexibility and Power by Natalie Reynolds

Author:Natalie Reynolds
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Icon Books Ltd
Published: 2016-03-02T14:00:00+00:00

Climate control and the Diplomat

In a high-pressure, multi-issue negotiation there are bound to be tensions, differences of opinion and sticky areas where agreement seems challenging. This is true in even the most solid of relationships and collaborative of approaches. If there is a relationship to be maintained post-agreement, or if you simply are of the view that a more collaborative approach will be more beneficial than an aggressive one, it makes sense to assign someone in the team to regulate the room’s climate.

At the start of the interaction, this person should ensure that introductions are made, and that everyone is comfortable and has what they need. The Diplomat should also make some kind of opening statement in relation to the intention of each side to reach a productive agreement. They should take responsibility for ensuring that roles are observed within their team and for managing fraying tempers or situations where people are becoming stuck on difficult issues.

There is a famous expression that any Diplomat would benefit from bearing in mind: the iron hand in the velvet glove. The thrust of the expression is that you can be tough and firm on the issues (the iron hand), but you need to remain warm and soft on the people if you are to maintain a relationship (the velvet glove).

As the person managing the climate, it is your job to remain tough and focused on the issues throughout the negotiation, but also to preserve and even advance the relationship. To help you with this, pull together a bank of statements that could help the negotiation to progress should you face difficult issues that drag each side away from agreement. We call these ‘words that soothe and phrases that move’. An example of good climate control could be:

‘We are making great strides here, and I feel like we are getting closer to consensus on a number of really important points. As there appear to be some strong views here, how about we take a breather on this one for now and come back to it after we’ve had a look at some of the issues we haven’t yet addressed?’

The first part includes the ‘words that soothe’: you are reminding people how much has been achieved and that agreement is not far off. The second part is a ‘phrase that moves’: by suggesting that you look at alternative issues before coming back to the point of disagreement, you can defuse any growing tension and clear the air before returning to it, hopefully with fresh eyes all round.

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