Negotiation: The Boss-Subordinate Scenario

The significance of negotiation in the workplace cannot be overstated. Negotiation is vital in resolving conflicts, sealing vital projects, and getting ahead in the workplace. Disputes in the workplace, be they personal or business-related, are inevitable. In most cases, people would rather avoid such disputes to prevent them from escalating into conflicts: Negotiation: The Boss-Subordinate Scenario.

However, it is possible to turn such conflicts into constructive engagements and realize valuable solutions to ongoing tensions. The role of negotiation in conflict situations is not just to resolve a dispute. If the parties involved use the right approach, it is possible to improve the situation among multiple parties.

For this analysis, I choose the boss-subordinate scenario, which mainly centers around a conflict between Jeff and Sophia. In this case, I assume the position of Sophia. Instead of being answerable to Jeff, I am seeking a voice on projects and not just taking instructions from Jeff.

As Sophia in this situation, I felt that I deserved the promotion to the position of manager of all teams more than anyone else. Having joined the company seven years earlier than Jeff and worked on various successful campaigns, I felt that I deserved the position more than Jeff. Nonetheless, I understood that for us to resolve the conflict successfully, I needed to separate my personal feelings about Jeff from the problem that we needed to address. I was able to separate Jeff as a person from the conflict to avoid competition while negotiating a potential solution to the conflict.

One of the best ways to avoid competition while negotiating for a solution in a conflict is to focus on the underlying interests and needs of the negotiating parties (Hocker et al., 2021). Understanding what each side wants shifts the focus of all parties from competing for a specific end goal to finding a mutually beneficial solution that is acceptable to both parties. I realized that trying to tear the other person down does not yield positive results in the long run. After I stopped viewing Jeff as a competitor, we managed to maintain strong relationships even as we worked on a solution to the current conflict.

Another element of principled negotiation that played a significant role in resolving the current conflict was attending to all communication elements. Among others, one of the most crucial communication skills for successfully resolving a conflict is to avoid telling others what to do. By granting the other party autonomy, they will feel respected and be more willing to engage in talks and compromise (Hocker et al., 2021). It is vital to show the other party in a conflict that one can be trusted by expressing appreciation and forming affiliations.

Also, forming affiliations by turning an adversary into a colleague plays a key role in easing tensions in a conflict (Hocker et al., 2021). This is particularly useful because it makes the other party understand that they are not the problem but rather a partner in helping ease tensions. In the current scenario, I explained to Jeff that I did not doubt his capacity to serve as an overall manager.

To that end, I made him understand that what I was questioning was the lack of a clear criterion through which the organization was making promotions. Further, I convinced him that he may face an injustice in the future, hence the need for the organization to set clear promotion criteria.

As stated earlier, a conflict is best approached through an open mind. I made sure to approach the current conflict with an open mind, hoping for two outcomes. One of the solutions I generated for the conflict is a win-win for all. A win-win situation is particularly useful in a conflict because it makes negotiation easier since all parties hope to achieve something from the conflict (Wertheim, 2002).

Successful negotiators understand that a successful negotiation encompasses a give-and-take phenomenon and that toxic egos do not yield positive results (Wertheim, 2002). A win-win phenomenon is particularly valuable for the current boss-subordinate conflict because there is something everyone can gain after the negotiation. On the one hand, I was hoping that even though Jeff may not leave his managerial position for me, he would respect the fact that I have been at the organization longer and accommodate my insights on projects instead of issuing top-down instructions.

On the other hand, I hoped if my needs were to be fulfilled, Jeff would also have something to gain—that I would respect his position and maintain seamless communication with him. A win-win phenomenon creates value since both parties leave feeling that they have greater value than before.

In the current conflict, there was a need to insist on an objective solution criterion to enhance the chances of reaching a solution. The selection was based on the fact that the negotiating parties in a conflict can have a back-and-forth on whose facts are correct (Welsh, 2006). Such an argument is likely to adversely affect the outcome of a negotiation because it will likely end up in an impasse or an inefficient compromise. To avoid such disagreements, it is advisable to agree on a negotiation criterion before the negotiation process begins.

In a principled negotiation, a fair and independent standard suffices in settling differences. A fair and independent standard negotiation criterion is welcome because it is free of individual biases of the conflicting parties (Welsh, 2006). Fairness ensures that the interests of all parties are respected, avoiding favoritism and biases. Given Jeff’s senior position in the company, which gives him the power to dismiss me at will, I felt there was a need to refer to a fair criterion to protect my interests.

Besides, a fair and independent standard was critical to ensure the root causes of the conflict were addressed instead of just delving into the symptoms of the conflict (Welsh, 2006). Also, respect for rights is critical during negotiation. Given the fact that Jeff contemplated firing me at some point, I felt that there was a need for a standard process that respects my rights.

Notably, all parties involved in a conflict should realize that the goal of a negotiation is not to reach an unquestionable agreement. Instead, the primary goal should be to reach an agreement that puts them in a better-off position than their best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA) (Fisher et al., 2011). In this regard, the parties involved in a conflict should adjust and improve their BATNA during the preparation stage of a negotiation and throughout the negotiation process (Fisher et al., 2011). The stronger the BATNA is, the better chances a party has to achieve better outcomes in a negotiation (Fisher et al., 2011).

In the current negotiation between myself and Jeff, my BATNA was to resign from the company and seek better opportunities elsewhere based on my strong credentials. Nonetheless, I achieved my desired outcome since Jeff appreciated my seniority in the company, promising that he would not be bossy toward me. Besides, we agreed that my voice would count more in the organization’s projects in the future owing to my long experience and achievements in the company.

Based on my objectives before engaging in the negotiation process, I strongly feel that Jeff’s commitments were fair and realistic. One of the fundamentals of fair commitments is that they should reflect a balance of power (Hocker et al., 2021). To that end, no party in the conflict should bear an unfair burden or make excessive sacrifices through coercion. One can tell a commitment is unfair if they make multiple concessions without getting anything in return.

That was not the case for my conflict with Jeff because I felt that both of us made compromises to reach a win-win solution. Also, commitments are deemed realistic because of the feasibility of execution (Hocker et al., 2021). Being a manager of all teams in the organization, the commitments made in the negotiation outcome are within his purview; hence, I believe he will implement them. Based on this, I consider the negotiation successful.

In a real-life situation, the negotiation depicted above would have been adversely affected by competition. Firstly, there would have been heightened tension to even agree to sit and negotiate. Competition makes conflicting parties view negotiations as win-lose situations, making conflicting parties use aggressive tactics toward one another (Fisher et al., 2011).

Besides, open communication would have been difficult, given that the trust between the two parties had been eroded (Fisher et al., 2011). At some point, Jeff contemplated firing Sophia but later cut her off from key organizational projects. Sophia was aware of these moves and had probably lost all the trust in Jeff. On the other hand, Jeff was aware that Sophia deliberately ignored his emails, severing communication between them.

References

Fisher, R., Ury, W. L., & Patton, B. (2011). Getting to yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in. Penguin Publishing Group

Hocker, J. L., Berry, K., & Wilmot, W. (2021). Interpersonal conflict (11th ed.). Mcgraw Hill.

Welsh, N. (2006). Perceptions of fairness. In The Negotiator’s Fieldbook. https://ssrn.com/abstract=1782252

Wertheim, E. (2002). Negotiations and resolving conflicts: An overview. College of Business Administration, Northeastern University. https://www.europarc.org/communication-skills/pdf/Negotiation%20Skills.pdf

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Negotiation

Negotiation is a highly important personal and professional skill which presents itself with numerous challenges. Understanding how to successfully negotiate with a variety of persons is important for effective communication across a variety of contexts. Complete both part one and part two of this assignment.

Choose ONE of the scenarios from the attached “Negotiation Scenarios” document, or an alternative scenario approved by your instructor.

To successfully do your negotiation, follow the Seven Elements of Principled Negotiation found in the textbook and use those during your selected “Negotiation Scenario.” For this assignment, you will serve as the initiating party of the negotiation. The objective is to gain a better understanding of the negotiation process and how each step functions.

You will need to solicit the help of one person. This person will take on the role of the adversarial party in your selected scenario.

Negotiation: The Boss-Subordinate Scenario

After conducting the negotiation, write a 1,375-1,750-word paper that discusses your experience and cites at least four credible and authoritative references. In your paper, analyze and reflect on your experience negotiating using the Seven Principles of Negotiation. Consider the following prompts:

1. Were you able to focus on the relationship or did it become competitive?
2. What elements of communication were you able to attend to and which did you struggle the most with?
3. Did you focus on the underlying interests, or did it become personal?
4. What options did you generate for the outcome?
5. What were your solution criteria?
6. Did you achieve your desired outcome or use the BATNA?
7. Was the commitment fair and realistic? How so?
8. How might this negotiation have been different if it were real and not a role play?

Resource:

• Hocker, J. L., Berry K., & Wilmot, W. W. (2022). Interpersonal conflict (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.