Question

A quick thinking and flexible attitude to quickly recast the arguments in one’s favour to suit the dynamics unfolding throughout the negotiation is the hallmark of a champion negotiator. On the contrary rigidity of approach is usually counterproductive and more often than not results in stalemate situations. Supporting your work with relevant examples, critically examine this statement.          Please answer the question with relevant examples                

Answer 1

A negotiator needs to be flexible as well as has a strong presence of mind. It is the role of the negotiator to get the best deal for the company. Hence he needs to be quick with his claims and data processing. If the other party in the negotiation table is putting forward a claim, the negotiator must be agile enough to process the claim and come up with a relevant BATNA. Negotiation is just like a game of chess. The negotiator must have his moves planned well in advance. This way, the overall probability of the negotiator getting the best deal becomes high. If the negotiator has rigidity, he may lose out on opportunities as his BATNA will remain the same in every instance. The opposition party may take this as an opportunity and may turn the negotiation in their favor.

The primary traits of a negotiator are as follows:

· Flexible thinker

· Communication skills

· Problem Solving skills

· Negotiation skills

· Active listener

Suppose 2 companies are negotiating a merger strategy. If the negotiator remains rigid that his company wants to get 51% stakes in the merger, then the rigidity may lead to failure of the overall negotiation process. However if the negotiator is flexible in his approach, he may get his BATNA to be 49% stakes as well as majority voting rights. This way the merger will also get successful and the negotiator’s company will gain major benefits in the case.