Communication And Personality In Negotiation

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Communication and Personality in Negotiation Many people believe negotiation is a practice for only lawyers or expert salespeople. However, it is something every person does daily, often without thinking about it. From bargaining over what to have for dinner to what kind of car to purchase, negotiation is part of everyday life. According to Businessdictionary.com, a general definition of negotiation is a bargaining process between two or more people in search of a common viewpoint to reach an agreement to resolve a shared concern or conflict ("What Is Negotiation?", 2011). In this paper I will analyze the roles of communication and personality in negotiation and how they contribute to or detract from a negotiation. Communication Communication is important for negotiating a fair trade. Verbal communication includes both what is said and the way it is said. Effective communication skills include listening, asking questions, and role reversal. By listening carefully each person can learn what the other has to say so that an agreement can be reached to resolve the conflict. Asking questions is also crucial to effectual bargaining. Negotiators acquire helpful information about the other person’s position or needs in a situation by asking correct questions (Lewicki, Saunders, & Barry, 2006). Role reversal is also a valuable tool in negotiations. This technique puts the negotiator in the role of the other person while considering the issues at hand and allows the person doing the negotiations to understand the other person’s position. In negotiations, communication occurs at two levels: the rational level and the practical level; the meaning behind a proposition or statement is a combination of logical and inferred messages (Lewicki, Saunders, & Barry, 2006). People respond not only to what is said, but also how it is said and the possible hidden meanings

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