Agree or Not to Agree

¶ … Agree or Not to Agree

Case Study on Negotiations: To Agree or Not to Agree

In the case study, "To agree or not to agree," the scenario presented was one of a negotiations case that was finished but was followed after with one more issue for negotiation. The building of a state teaching hospital was successfully negotiated and agreed with by representatives of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Jefferson County and Humana. However, on the day that the agreement will be signed among the negotiating parties, Gov. John Brown Jr. expressed his request for previously approved bonds worth $12 M. To be issued and used as settlement for the costs incurred and will be incurred with the construction and administration of the teaching hospital.

As Mayor Sloane, I have every reason to remain firm but at the same time continue negotiating with Gov. Brown, even if this scenario looks like an "ambush" that we unexpectedly encountered and realized too late. Apart from the fact that it is in my interest and responsibility to ensure that the agreement will be finalized by the end of the day, I also have a responsibility to at least acknowledge Gov. Brown's concern regarding the $12 M. unissued bonds. As mayor, I have the responsibility to ensure the agreement's success and pursue the construction of the teaching hospital. At the same time, I would still show support to a colleague and fellow government official whose argument is valid and has merit, albeit the way it was presented to us was unprecedented and uncalled for, to say the least.

Assuming the role of Mayor Sloane in this particular situation, I shall approach this new 'twist' in the negotiation process as follows: (i) acknowledge that while Gov. Brown's request is valid, it was not officially considered part of the agreement that was finalized; (ii) reinforce that the finalized agreement is considered final, and any requests after would still be subject to the review of the legislature; and (iii) show support for Gov. Brown, and commit that "best efforts" will be exerted to ensure that his request will be addressed and resolved (whether this would be a positive or negative outcome). These tactics would help me establish my objective, which is to ensure the success of the agreement while ensuring also that Gov. Brown does not feel that his concerns were not addressed and there was not even an attempt to help him resolve the matter.

The agreement template has helped me evaluate the flow of the negotiation process that happened in this particular case. Taking into account the structure and elements of the agreement template, I was able to identify that the negotiations in this case lacked the 'renegotiation' component, which takes into account the possibility of another negotiation during or after agreement has been reached. Through the agreement template, I was able to determine this weakness and consequently, develop the tactics that are proposed to be used for this case.