Negotiation

NEGOTIATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE AGREEMENTS BY DR. WILLIAM URY

This video by Dr. William Ury is quite an inspiring lecture about the Negotiation’s Third Side which he described as the common ground, allowing people who disagree to take the common ground to negotiate. 30 years ago, there were no courses on negotiations, people were used to decisions being made from the top down within the community. Now, things are more dynamic with the network of negotiations and with knowledge or information revolution.

We deal with negotiations daily from within ourselves, spouses, children, bosses, employees, co-workers, professors and colleagues and it takes a lot of our time daily. Negotiations have increased and so as conflicts as well from 10 years ago. It is incumbent upon us to take the constructive approach rather than destructive approach to negotiations. The secret of peace is simple, by taking the Third Side, wherein the people in the community who have stakes must be involved in the negotiation process.

There are four practical tools of the Third Side: (1) Perspective Taking or the Balcony Approach, (2) Listening and Respect (Empathy), (3) Ability to Reframe and (4) Power of Bridging.

(1) Perspective Taking or Balcony Approach is simply looking at the big picture, taking in the whole perspective and simply not to react and not to be emotional when under distress or when emotions are high. By reacting or over reacting without thinking is the most single barrier in negotiations.

(2) Listening and Respect or Empathy is the ability to listen and digest what the other side is talking. It is putting oneself into the other side’s perspective; it cost nothing but meant a lot on the other side thus empathy and respect is recognized.

(3) Ability to Reframe is moving the spotlight or the heart of the issue that is beneficial to all sides of the negotiation. It is constructive to move on from your position to common interest and look...