Negotiating skills

What medical managers do

Doing things

• comfortable, prime job

Maintaining things

• safe, easy management

Changing things

• uncomfortable, leadership

Spectrum

Influencing skills

Negotiating skills

Dealing with difficult situations

Phases of negotiation

Preparation

Opening

Bargaining

Closing

Characteristics of a negotiation

A preference to search for a solution rather than have a fight

Depends on:

• Personalities of the people involved

• History that exists between them

• The persuasive ability of each

Two types of negotiation

Co-operative = win/win

• empathetic

• partnership agreements

Adversarial = win/lose

• maximise own gain and other’s loss

• unstable agreements

Preparation

What are my objectives?

What does the consultant want?

What information will influence the outcome?

How am I going to achieve my objectives?

What concessions can I make?

What part will other people play?

Objectives

What exactly do I wish to achieve?

Which of my objectives:

• must I achieve?

• do I intend to achieve?

• would I like to achieve?

What other options are acceptable to me?

How might this fit with what the consultant wants?

Concessions

What is the best deal I can realistically get?

What concessions do I have; their cost to me and value to the consultant?

What is the limit of my authority?

When should I walk away; and at what cost to the outcome?

Opening the negotiation

Establish the issues

Gather information

Establish the issues

Agree an agenda

• what needs to be discussed and agreed

• what are the major issues

• what are the timescales

Keep everything general at the beginning

Gain commitment early on, but only once all the negotiable items are identified

Gather information

You have and are willing to give

You have and are not willing to give

The consultant has and is willing to give

The consultant has and is not willing to give

Do not give concessions until you believe you have all the information

Bargain and build a solution

Start should be ambitious but defensible

Bargain

• ask questions and seek alternatives

Concessions traded

• don’t give away for free

Agreement reached

Closing stages

Vital to overall success

Do not be over eager as may make the consultant hold back for more concessions

Beware ‘one sided’ concessions at end of negotiation - the majority of concessions are given or traded in last 5% of total time.

Closing

Review position to date and agree it

Record the details

Define and timetable outstanding issues

Agree with the consultant that you both have the same interpretation

Some pitfalls - 1

Failing to prepare effectively

Being intimidated by status

Forgetting the consultant has things to gain

Making assumptions about what the consultant wants

Talking too much and failing to listen effectively

Some pitfalls - 2

Giving away concessions for nothing

Conceding on important issues too quickly

Assuming deadlock means agreement is not possible

Being inflexible

Taking things personally