What negotiation styles work best for team collaboration?

1 Negotiation styles and personality

Negotiation styles are influenced by your personality, preferences, and goals. According to the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI), there are five modes of conflict resolution: competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, and accommodating. Each mode has its pros and cons, depending on the situation and the relationship. For example, competing can be useful when you need to assert your authority or protect your interests, but it can also damage trust and cooperation. Collaborating can be beneficial when you need to find a creative solution or build rapport, but it can also be time-consuming and complex.

2 Assessing your own style

To negotiate effectively, you need to be aware of your own style and how it affects your interactions with others. You can use a self-assessment tool, such as the TKI or the DISC model, to identify your dominant and secondary modes of conflict resolution. You can also ask for feedback from your peers, mentors, or coaches to gain more insights into your strengths and weaknesses. By knowing your own style, you can adapt it to different situations and people, and avoid potential pitfalls or blind spots.

3 Understanding other styles

As well as knowing your own style, you need to understand the styles of the people you are negotiating with. This can help you anticipate their needs, expectations, and reactions, and tailor your communication and strategy accordingly. You can use various cues, such as body language, tone of voice, and word choice, to infer their style. You can also ask open-ended questions, listen actively, and empathize with their perspective. By understanding other styles, you can establish rapport, trust, and mutual respect.

4 Choosing the best style for collaboration

When you negotiate with your team members, you want to achieve a win-win outcome that satisfies both parties and enhances the collaboration. To do this, you need to choose the best style for each situation, depending on the importance of the issue and the relationship. Generally, collaborating is the most effective style for team collaboration, as it allows you to explore options, generate ideas, and reach a consensus. However, sometimes you may need to use other styles, such as compromising when you need to find a quick and fair solution, or accommodating when you need to preserve harmony or show goodwill.

5 Developing your negotiation skills

Negotiation is a skill that can be learned and improved with practice and feedback. You can develop your negotiation skills by taking courses, reading books, or joining online communities related to project leadership and negotiation. You can also seek opportunities to negotiate in real-life situations, such as with your clients, vendors, or team members. You can also ask for feedback from your negotiation partners or observers, and reflect on what went well and what can be improved.

6 Applying negotiation styles to team collaboration

Negotiation is not only a way to resolve conflicts or reach agreements, but also a way to foster team collaboration. By applying different negotiation styles to different situations and people, you can enhance your project leadership and achieve better results. You can also use negotiation as a tool to build trust, respect, and understanding within your team, and create a positive and productive work environment.

7 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?