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When to use?
When the value of investing time to resolve the conflict outweighs
the benefit; or if the issue under negotiation is trivial (trivial to both
parties). Sometimes there is just not enough at stake to risk a difficult
conflict situation. If there is a lot of emotion in a negotiation, it's
pointless pushing through and hammering it out. Better to allow people
to calm down first, let the testosterone hormone leave everyone's system
first so that reason and rationality can reappear. At that point an avoid
style is likely the most pragmatic alternative - suggest a timeout of 15-20
minutes.
What to do when you're dragged into a negotiation unprepared?
Under these circumstances, avoidance is probably the most sensible
strategy. Either avoid the meeting, or avoid discussing the issues upon
which you need to prepare.
What's the Danger?
Whoever has the greater urgency will usually end up with the short
end of the avoidance stick. Stalling is a common sales tactics, when
sales / the vendor knows that procurement needs their product or service
yesterday. Conversely a buyer may hold out until the last day of the a
quarter or month, knowing that the sales person needs to meet his or her
target. So be careful about what information you reveal about the
urgency of your need.
When communication channels are cut off, you leave the other side
to fill in the blanks. They may believe you need more time, or may think
that you're no longer interested in a business relationship with them,
resulting in their approaching your competition, or contemplating
downsizing. Mutual resentment is likely to build up - leading to frosty
impersonal relationships. Paradoxically, avoid profile negotiators are
frequently seeking to avoid conflict - and their avoid style instead lands
them in more conflict. When differences are eventually aired, emotions
and negotiation positions are often more difficult and fixed than they
need be.
Self Defense
Set clear expectations of timing early on in your negotiations. Best
to be detailed in defining milestones with dates attached to each.If the
other party is applying an avoid style, consider escalating the issue on
one or both sides.Understand their decision making process and levels of
responsibility. Having these insights can assist you in invalidating their
reasons for avoiding, and will make your sharp questions more difficult