What are some best practices for assessing communication skills during negotiations?

1 Identify your goals and interests

Before you enter a negotiation, you should have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and why. This will help you communicate your position and needs more confidently and persuasively, as well as understand the other party's perspective and motivations. You should also be aware of your alternatives and limits, so you can evaluate the options and outcomes realistically and avoid settling for less than you deserve.

2 Listen actively and empathically

One of the most essential communication skills for negotiations is listening. Listening is not just hearing what the other party says, but also paying attention to their tone, body language, emotions, and underlying concerns. Listening actively and empathically shows respect and curiosity, builds rapport and trust, and helps you identify common ground and potential solutions. You can demonstrate your listening skills by asking open-ended questions, paraphrasing, summarizing, and acknowledging the other party's feelings and interests.

3 Adapt your style and strategy

Another important communication skill for negotiations is adaptability. Adaptability means being able to adjust your style and strategy according to the situation, the other party, and the feedback you receive. For example, you may need to switch from a competitive to a collaborative approach, or from a direct to an indirect communication style, depending on the context and the relationship. You can assess your adaptability by observing how the other party reacts to your messages, how the negotiation progresses, and how satisfied you are with the results.

4 Manage your emotions and conflict

Negotiations can be stressful and emotional, especially when there are high stakes, conflicting interests, or power imbalances. Therefore, you need to have good emotional intelligence and conflict management skills to cope with the challenges and avoid damaging the relationship or the outcome. You can manage your emotions and conflict by being aware of your triggers and reactions, expressing your feelings constructively, using humor and positive language, and seeking win-win solutions.

5 Seek feedback and improvement

Finally, one of the best ways to assess and improve your communication skills for negotiations is to seek feedback and improvement. Feedback can come from various sources, such as the other party, a third party, a mentor, a coach, or yourself. You can ask for feedback on your strengths and weaknesses, your impact and influence, and your areas of improvement. You can also reflect on your own performance and learn from your successes and failures. By seeking feedback and improvement, you can enhance your communication skills and become a more effective and ethical negotiator.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?