Blog Post #9

After reading the article "American Strengths and Weaknesses," some observations that surprised me were when you negotiate with an American, American delegations suffer from serious interagency rivalries. I thought that Americans are straightforward and let others know what they believe in such as getting to the point and moving on. I never knew that American internal meetings would last longer than the other meetings in the conference compared to other groups. Americans tell it like it is and mean business such as informing and letting others know what they believe in and being prepared. It surprised me that Americans take longer informing others when they negotiate, which is why they act a certain way to get what they want. Another observation that surprised me was that Americans are impatient when they negotiate. Since Americans are straightforward and want everything to go a certain way if something doesn't go the way that it should then Americans question or feel irritated when it doesn't go as planned. Americans are always on the run and get frustrated when something doesn't go their way which is why it is crucial to be prepared for anything and everything.
The observation that hit home personally for me was that American people are very candid and straightforward. When I negotiate, I make sure that I start the negotiation by mentioning what is most important so that everyone in the group knows exactly what I am working toward and they might also agree with me. By being straightforward, everyone will know what you believe in and know exactly what you are trying to accomplish. It is good to be straightforward so that you can work towards what you came into the negotiation for such as drawing the line and telling the truth about the topic. During this semester, I feel like I was very straightforward and was the person to start every negotiation because when you let everyone know exactly what you want or what you are working towards, people will eventually understand what your strengths and weaknesses are. This helped my team and I get our points across by stating what side of the scenario we want and are working towards.
The observations about the American strengths and weaknesses can be brought into what I have experienced in the Bacchus case since Tucker and I were able to work together and indicate what categories were most important to us. I was able to start off the negotiation by demonstrating what we wanted and what we believed in such as letting the other two groups know our importance of each category. This was able to set the tone of the negotiation and let it keep rolling by demonstrating what we were working towards. My group for the negotiation did very well since we worked together and figured out which categories were important to everyone. We were able to make deals so that one group was satisfied for a category while the other groups got what they wanted for another category. We were able to speak clearly and come prepared into the negotiation since each group were able to identify what was most important to them. We didn't have any issues during the negotiation besides that one of the categories we had to go more in-depth and discuss why we felt towards the answer. One group wanted to fire Nikko while my group and Raven wanted to put him into a powerless position. It is important to work together or figure out a deal that will make everyone happy and satisfied. By being productive and honest during negotiations, you will be able to have a smooth and content conversation due to working together as a group and making deals with one another.

Blog Post #8

After reading the article from the Harvard Program on Negotiation regarding online negotiating, I was able to develop and understand the importance of how it is to meet and negotiate in person. You will get better results and outcomes if you meet in person, but due to the changes in the world such as the coronavirus occurring we have moved to online negotiating. When you meet face-to-face, you are able to develop eye contact, body language, and tone of voice, that will help distinguish how the person is feeling. If you don't meet in person, you won't be able to figure out the other persons understanding on how they feel about the topic. It is different when you have a phone call, text message, or email the other person especially when you don't have that person in front of you and you can't tell from their body language on how they feel about the outcomes. I can apply the advice provided in the article to my next upcoming negotiations since now that they are all online, I will be able to illustrate my understanding and interests on the negotiation by providing to the group my values of the scenario. In the article, it demonstrated five guidelines that will help the next negotiation online be more helpful such as considering the likely scope of your deal, toggle between different communication media, give counterparts the benefits of the doubt, be collaborative, and don't make this the new normal. By going through and illustrating all of these guidelines, I will be able to have a more successful negotiation due to the changes that we all have to overcome. We will all have to work through the changes that have been made and demonstrate the importance of videoconferencing with one another can make a difference. We will all provide our value of the negotiation and demonstrate how we feel about everything since we are all videoconferencing and not actually face-to-face. Even though we can still see everyone and their body language, it is still different and it may be difficult to understand how everyone is feeling due to everyone being in a different location. I have already learned from the previous online negotiations is that it is important to make sure that everyone in your group is on the same page and are able to contribute their understanding of the negotiation. Even though not everyone in your group will have on their cameras, it is hard to figure out how everyone is feeling such as demonstrating eye contact or body language since we aren't actually right in front of them. I will make sure that everyone is able to indicate their understanding of the negotiation by collaborating with one another and demonstrate the values that everyone is overseeing. By working with one another and making sure that everyone is communicating, it will make it easier for everyone in the group to figure out how they feel about the scenario. We will be able to communicate through videoconferences instead of emailing and text messages since we might interpret their opinion in the wrong way. It is beneficial to meet with everyone on videoconferences so that you can get a better understanding of what everyone is thinking.

Blog Post #7

After watching the "Final Offer" movie, I was surprised and in shock on how everything was structured such as the organized labor that was presented to everyone. They were talking about increased benefits in the beginning of the film and how people will get a raise year after year the more you negotiate a deal. The USA signed a deal to the GM to get a raise, but the Canadians didn't like that and their ideas needed to be different from theirs. Everyone wants a raise in their hourly pay so that they can receive more on their paychecks in which they had worked hard for. It was interesting how there were no disciplines, which is why people were doing whatever and aren't showing union discipline. There were many problems that were occurring, but the Canadians strike could affect the US Ford operations which could make them receive less money for the business. I noticed that there were many coalitions going on during the film such as Bob White and Owen Beiber were at odds, but as time went on Bob White felt that Owen Beiber was on his team and he now knows that he is not. Owen was working out a deal with Rodger Smith and Bob White was feeling left out since they are not working with each other anymore. It is interesting how everyone was switching sides and are negotiating against the other sides to get their points across. Bob White was the one that was making the negotiations while everyone else got elected to negotiate. During negotiations they were discussing deals and they have to approve of a deal before they can move forward. I was in shock on how long their negotiations were since they were stuck in a five hour long negotiation in a small room with a lot of people inside. By the end, Bob White was able to end the strike and people were eventually able to return to their jobs sine they were on strike for a week. It is important to understand what everyone is working toward and what they want to accomplish. Everyone has a different viewpoint and focus which is why the Americans didn't see the differences on everything that was going on compared to the Canadians. After watching the movie, I was surprised how everything worked since the organized labor is different today then from what it was like years ago.

Today, organized labor treats employees the way they should be treated such as receiving higher wages, more hours, and working in a safe environment. Companies make sure that they are treating their employees with respect by letting them work in an improve and safe working condition to feel motivated to do their best performance. Many employees are able to pay for medical coverage and several weeks vacation due to the organized labor that we have today. I feel like everyone should have a say and state their opinion on how they are feeling about the organized labor that they work with. For example, Walmart and McDonald's are two companies that sell their items for low so that the customers are satisfied with how cheap they are buying their products for. Walmart is a company that limits the power of organized labor to enable it sell lower cost items for customers. This allows for the retailers to cut salaries or eliminate jobs since they are selling their items for a low cost. While McDonald's employees are in the process of wanting to raise their hourly pay to $15 since they believe that they deserve more money and be able to join a labor union. McDonald's is a well known business that many people go to every day due to the fast pace and low priced foods that they sell. Many people don't believe that employees should get a raise since it is a fast food franchise where people of all ages work at due to poor work experience. I believe that all employees should feel honored to be able to have a job since everyone is guaranteed with one. Workers should receive credit and acknowledgement when they work their hardest and show their company that they should get a raise or a bonus. Even though Walmart and McDonald's are two well known companies that everyone knows about, they should treat their employees with good organized labor since they work hard everyday to make their businesses successful. I believe employees would work better in an organized labor since they know that their management believes in them and wants the best for them as well. Having a business that motivates and appreciates their employees will help the company have employees that will want to work and they will end up working their hardest for successful results.

Blog Post #6

On page 221, the Principle of Consistency: People align with their clear commitments was mentioned and it makes it clear that people are able to make their commitments active, public, and voluntary. I was able to employ this principle in one of the negotiations this semester which allowed me to get my point across for them to be on my side. I was able to do this principle when it was the negotiation of the three people and I was able to get the baker on my side from the beginning. Since I was able to tell my side of the story and demonstrate my points, I was able to get the baker on my side to agree on some of the points that I had provided.  By having someone agree with your information, they will end up backing you up with points that they think were crucial as well. This shows how it is not all about likability, but they also need to feel committed to what you want them to do. It is beneficial to get your main points across first so that the other side knows exactly what you are looking for. By taking a stand on what you believe in, you should pursue to stick with it so that this shows commitment. Since I was able to give evidence on the side that I believed in, the other side was able to sit back and listen to what I was setting forth with. I was able to come prepared for the negotiation, which made it easier for me to tell the other side what I believed in. It is important to have your commitments active, public, and voluntary so that the information you are presenting is worthwhile to tell others. Yes, the influence attempt did work during this negotiation since I was able to get one person to agree with me and be able to back up my points with me. Since the one person agreed to what I was providing to the group, it ended up becoming a two to one ratio, which helped us get what we wanted by the end of the negotiation.

On page 231, it was able to mention channel #6 which is relationships and how you should present yourself to others. Having a strong relationship to the other side is beneficial since everyone can end on good terms and you are able to have a positive conversation the more the negotiation goes on. By having a good relationship with your opponent, you will have a positive enforcement rather than having a negative interaction by bringing that person done on whatever they say. Even if you don't agree with what the other side is saying, it is crucial to be social and have a positive attitude so that problems will not end up occurring. I was able to use this technique on the first negotiation since it was Fran and I on one side while Grayson was on the other side. Even though we all didn't agree with each other with what everyone was bringing to the table, we were able to demonstrate a positive relationship between the three of us. Grayson didn't agree and benefit from what Fran and I were saying, which made him end up winning the negotiation due to the information that he was providing. Relationships in a negotiation is beneficial since the way you present your information and how you react to others can make or break the conversation that will be presented. No, the influence attempt did not work in this negotiation since Grayson was able to provide information that was more beneficial and worthwhile compared to what Fran and I were bringing to the table. The more information that you are able to back yourself up with, the more far you will be able to get in the negotiation.

Blog Post #5

The three approaches of bargaining ethics include the tension between creating and distributing value, the tension between empathy and assertiveness, and the tension between principals and agents. Each of these have a different meaning and are able to come together to make a deal or to settle a dispute. It is important that you are able to have a fixed amount of value since negotiations are distributive. You are unlikely to create new value if you try to affect the distribution of that value. Since negotiations are distributive, it is efficient that you provide everyone value equally so that everyone has a fair share. You need to have an open mind while you negotiate and that you don't provide too much information or value for everyone to know since that can make or break the conversation. Empathy verses assertiveness is important during negotiations since you want to figure out and understand how the other side is feeling and thinking. By figuring out what the other sides's empathy is, you can help that person out by solving their problems to ensure that you will get better quality goods in return. By illustrating that you understand what the other person is thinking, you are able to demonstrate questions that will help provide useful information while listening closely during the negotiation. You should express your own interests with intelligence and confidence so that you feel more better about what you are bringing to the table. If you can be empathetic and assertive, you can be a skilled negotiator as time goes on. By figuring out the other sides wants and needs during the negotiation, you will get a better idea on what they are trying to illustrate. Lastly, being a principal versus serving as an agent is two different aspects that you can be during a negotiation. Being an agent consists of someone representing themselves as being fair and also be effect towards everyone during the negotiation. While being a principal consists of someone having personal interests that are not similar to those individuals on their team. It is important that you acknowledge what is being brought to the table so that everyone is aware of the problems that are being addressed. It is beneficial that you are an equal and open minded person so that everyone can interact well with others in the group.

The 'school' that I subscribe to or aspire to subscribe to is #1, which is the tension between creating and distributing value. It is beneficial that you are distributing value all throughout the negotiation so that everyone has the potential to expand on what is being negotiated about. The more value that you bring to the table, the more information that will be talked about and will have interest in. You also need to make sure that you don't mention too much information or value during the negotiation since you don't want the other party to know what you are thinking. By just giving enough information to the other side, it will allow for more of a discussion and batting between each side.

Blog Post #4

A personal experience on how I formed a coalition to increase personal power in a conflict was when I was in my government and politics class in high school, and we had a debate during class. The class was split in half depending on if we agreed or disagreed with the scenario. Members on each side were able to organize to support their side of the particular issue that was addressed. Since we were able to come together and have evidence on why we believed on the issue, the coalition helped us to lead to a more efficient negotiation process since it was able to benefit the individuals that were involved. We were able to recognize opportunities to coordinate advantages and disadvantages of the tactics that were being mentioned in the debate. Everyone in my group were able to figure out the pros and cons of the debate and how managing group interactions between the other party can help determine decisions moving forward. Having the debate first started out as a conflict since both parties didn't agree with each other due to the opinions and evidence that they were sharing. Since I was able to step up and take charge by influencing the other individuals, this allowed me to communicate well that ended up providing me with strength. The more you communicate in a coalition, the more you will achieve and establish a network that allows you to have a positive mindset. I was able to step up and become the leader of the group, which allowed me to inspire the others my group for them to follow. Everyone in my group looked up to me and I was able to demonstrate true leadership due to encouraging people in my group to participate and providing balanced solutions together with information that is credited. We ended up winning the debate and became successful since we worked together to form a coalition to increase our personal power in the conflict that was addressed.

After reading the two articles for this week, I was able to understand more information about coalition and I will be able to form a coalition in the upcoming negotiation to further my interests. As the negotiation goes on, I will recognize and understand opportunities by figuring out the pros and cons of the scenario. By demonstrating interaction and being able to communicate to the other party, you will be able to determine benefits moving forward. I will step up and take charge of the negotiation so that I can be considered a leader that stands out from the others. I will allow for the other party to demonstrate their understanding on the negotiation, but I will take take charge and assure that I will be successful by the end. The more you apply yourself in the negotiation, the more you will accomplish as time goes on. By stepping up and becoming a leader, you will end up winning the negotiation since you are taking over and providing evidence that is equivalent to the scenario. I won't step aside and have the other party take charge, from the start I will be positive and be ready to provide information that will help me understand the negotiation better than the other party. I believe that I will partner up and negotiate well with the baker since we both have the same interests. By being able to tag along with someone during the negotiation, it will make it easier to follow through with what you are working for.

If a coalition is formed against me, I will make sure that I stay positive and that I am ready for anything that comes toward me. I have to make sure that I step up and that I am able to communicate to the other party efficiently so that I won't fall behind and end up not doing good in the negotiation. I will take charge and provide information that will help me set aside from the other party. The more information that you back yourself up with, the better outcome you will have by the end of the negotiation. I will make offers that will benefit myself so that I am the one controlling the negotiation and end up becoming the leader even if they form a coalition that is formed against me.

Blog Post #3

                                                                           Terms in Contract                  Points
Salary                                                                      $70,000                             5,000
                                                                                $80,000                             4,000
                                                                                $90,000                             3,000
                                                                               $100,000                            2,000
                                                                               $110,000                            1,000

Contract Annual Bonus                                            20%                                    0
                                                                                 16%                                 1,000
                                                                                 12%                                 2,000
                                                                                  8%                                  3,000
                                                                                  5%                                  4,000

Stock Options                                                           30%                                1,000
                                                                                  25%                                2,000
                                                                                  20%                                3,000
                                                                                  15%                                4,000
                                                                                  10%                                5,000

Signing Bonus                                                      $15,000                              5,000
                                                                              $14,000                              4,000
                                                                              $13,000                              3,000
                                                                              $12,000                              2,000
                                                                              $10,000                              1,000

Relocation                                                            $5,000                                 1,000
                                                                             $6,000                                 2,000
                                                                             $7,000                                 3,000
                                                                             $8,000                                 4,000
                                                                             $5,000                                 5,000

My negotiation plan is to get as many points as possible by the end of the negotiation. I want to make sure that Joe accepts the offer of the position of being an Associate Product Manager. It is important to first plan in what you are looking for because without a strategy then you won't be able to come out with an outcome. Next, I plan on negotiating and using key tactics to help understand my knowledge of becoming successful by the end of the offer. By contributing and figuring out the best results, we will end up having an outcome of offering the job to Joe and him accepting it. I plan on performing and evaluating effectively so that I am able to achieve positive results for myself and also Joe.