7.1 Warm-up exercise: what kind of negotiator are you?
Objective
Time required: 45 minutes
Objective
This exercise is to help participants recall and share
experiences with negotiation.
Process
Ask participants to think about some personal experiences they
have had with negotiating. Suggest that they ask themselves some questions about
each experience using the questions listed on the next page or other questions
that may occur to them.
After giving participants a few minutes to read and answer the
questions, divide them into small groups of about five people. Give them about
30 minutes for the discussion.
When the small groups reconvene, ask for any patterns or
insights that surfaced during the discussions.
1. Have you ever...
· Bargained with a
boss for a raise in pay, a better office location, or other improvements in
working conditions?
· Gone over someone's head or
by-passed normal channels to get reservations for a concert or play, tickets for
an athletic event, or improved seating on an airplane or train?
· Pressed for more information
when listening to a sales presentation?
· Hesitated to ask questions
because you did not want to be seen as uninformed?
· In a personal relationship,
tolerated abusive behaviour from another person because you:
- felt uncomfortable confronting the
person,
- felt you might not be able to express yourself properly, or
- didn't want to hurt the other person's feelings even though
that persons actions were hurting you?
2. Select one of the questions that you answered yes and answer
the following questions about it.
What was the situation?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
What do your responses to the situation say about you as a
negotiator?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
How would you describe your relationship with the other person
following the situation?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
