Q & A Table of Contents
But Are You Really Happy?
From: Monika, London, UK
Question: I need to know how are the ways of resuming negotiations. If you finished the process and you are happy about the agreement that you reached but you have doubts whether the other party is fully satisfied or not - how you can resume the negotiation?
Response: First, making sure that parties are happy about an agreement should be a central element of your communication. A successful negotiation can be defined as one which yields an agreement to which all parties are fully committed. Anything less is a failure.
It is crucial to monitor other parties' enthusiasm about the negotiation process and the elements of agreement that are reached during your negotiations? Look for indications of doubt or discomfort, whether expressed orally, by body language, or in any other way. Ask lots of questions during the process to gain affirmation that you and the folks with whom you are negotiating are indeed on the same page.
Once negotiations are complete, the parties must have a mutually-agreed means of monitoring one another's performance of the agreed-upon deal. This is best discussed during the negotiations, rather than left for afterwards.
If you find yourself wondering whether another party is going to live up to the deal they've agreed with you, don't wait for problems to arise -- ask them how they feel about the situation. Your questions may cover such areas as: "Did you feel our negotiations were conducted fairly?" "How do you feel about the agreement we reached?" "What kind of progress are you making on fulfilling your part of our deal?" "Do you have any comments about how well/effectively I am fulfilling my obligations to you?"
A very high proportion of our negotiations are with the same people or parties time and again. Thus it is wise to consider each negotiation as an episode in an ongoing relationship. Asking questions such as those suggested above is not out of place once you see things in that context.
Good luck with your negotiations,
Steve
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