BEST PRACTICES | |||||||||||
Dealing with Aggressive Negotiators: Don't Respond in Kind | |||||||||||
by Michael Strogoff, AIA |
|||||||||||
One
of the most basic principles of negotiating is to attack the problem,
not the person. But not everyone learns how to negotiate this way. Without
the knowledge or skills to negotiate collaboratively, some people resort
to aggressive tactics. Others deliberately employ tactics that most people
consider off limits. Examples of aggressive tactics include: How does one maintain composure when facing a person who uses aggressive negotiating tactics? When is it appropriate to fight fire with fire? As a general rule, do not respond in kind unless the other party proves to be so unreasonable, unethical, or dysfunctional that hardball responses are the only way of achieving your objectives. But beware. Unless the project or issue at hand is of vital importance, you may be better off not reaching an agreement. How a person behaves during a negotiation usually indicates how they will act throughout a relationship. Do you really want to do business with someone so unreasonable that, to protect your interests, you need to stoop to their level? For design professionals, effectively managing a negotiation can mean the difference between profitability and jeopardizing one's livelihood, between accepting reasonable versus onerous terms, and between establishing a productive relationship or an adversarial one. When negotiating with an aggressive person, try the following: 1. Recognize the
game. Once you understand that your opponent's behavior is simply
a tactic, you can respond coolly and effectively rather than reactively
and emotionally. This article was excerpted from the March issue of Negotiating Strategies, a monthly newsletter about negotiating better agreements, written specifically for the architecture and engineering professions. To view a sample newsletter or subscribe, visit the publisher's Web site, call 866 ARCH ENG (866 272-4364), or send an email. Copyright 2002 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved. |
|
||||||||||