As a manager, how can you get your front-line negotiators to change their behavior from instinctive to strategic based on the experts’ proven negotiation research? Here are a couple of tips:
1. Take baby steps.
Don’t ask your negotiators to do everything the research suggests at once. It’s too much and most will resist. Instead, help your folks walk before they try to run.
2. Practice improves performance.
The more your negotiators practice and implement these strategies, the more likely they will systematically use them. This will help you – and them – accomplish your mutual goals.
3. Incentivize their changed behavior.
Incentives work. So create incentives for your negotiators to implement these strategies.
4. Patience will pay off.
Finally, recognize that this will take time, effort and patience – especially patience. As noted above, modifying behavior is tough. So don’t expect instant results.
[Excerpted from “Change The Behavior Of Your Front-Line Negotiators,” first published in the January 4, 2008 issue of The Business Journal]