Moreover, both parties can "win" and gain something. Creativity is valued in this form of negotiation as a way to come up with new ideas that will allow both parties to feel satisfied. In other words, the win/lose aspect of competitive negotiation is shunned, and it is assumed that the needs of both parties can be met. The communication in a collaborative negotiation reflects this assumption. In order to find out what the real interests and needs of both sides are, the participants must listen closely to each other. Often negotiations begin with a frank discussion of common interests and what will benefit both. The interdependence of each upon the other is acknowledged. The negotiators transcend the idea of "not enough" limited resources, as each party expresses personal preferences. This allows more equitable distribution. The goal of collaborative negotiation is to reach a mutually acceptable solution and one that is fair to everyone involved. The relationship between the parties will be intact at the end of the process.
Collaborative negotiation has a different set of communication patterns. First, each party will try to maximize the benefit to him/herself and look for any joint gains that are available. The parties' common interests will be the focus as each tries to understand the other's needs as well. A non-confrontational style of communication will be used. Both sides will remain open to persuasion on substantive issues. The goal will be to reach a fair and durable agreement.
Some specific strategies that collaborative negotiators use include altering the parties' perception of the resources. it's called expanding the pie. If Jane wants a beach vacation and John wants to gamble, they can go to Florida where Jane can sun herself and John can find a number of gambling opportunities. In other words, it doesn't have to be one or the other (or win/lose). Another strategy is...
This is called the process of nonspecific compensation. One of the parties gets "paid off" with an alternative form of compentsation. Logrolling is another strategy in which each party gets what is most important and gives in on what is least important. Bridging is a strategy that involves finding ways to meet the other's needs or interests.
Brainstorming is an effective way to come up with a multitude of creative ideas (Hocker & Wilmot, 2007).
Collaborative negotiators don't fight. it's not that they don't look after their own self-interests, but the focus is on finding innovative ways to meet the needs of both sides so that everyone is happy. By working together they solve the problem that confronts them. They avoid attacking each other personally by confining their attention to the problem. They do everything they can to preserve their relationship. Taking a position in negotiation implies there is no other solution but one -- it limits options -- so collaborative negotiators avoid taking a position. They focus on interests instead. Collaborative negotiation encourages the parties to generate a list of possibilities before they decide on what should be done.
Fairness and justice provide a standard to judge the outcome of a collaborative negotiation. For example, a recent ad on TV for Jiffy peanut butter shows two young boys who are going to split a peanut butter sandwich. The boys are competitive about who will get the bigger half. In a collaborative negotiation, the mother allows one boy to cut the sandwich in two, but the other boy gets first choice of which half to take for himself. Both parties are happy at the end.
References
Hocker, J.L. And Wilmot, W.W. (2007). Interpersonal conflict. Seventh Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill.
