Mediation Minute: Different Personality Types

Bargaining with Different Personality Types:

How to Tell Them Apart and Plan Your Negotiation Strategy Accordingly

Negotiation is only partly about planning for what you are going to do and how you are going to react. More importantly, and surprisingly less-often focused upon, is planning for and adjusting for what others will do and how others will react.

When planning for a negotiation, consider the tactics to utilize that will prove most effective for reaching a compromise that is agreeable to all parties and, perhaps most importantly, prove beneficial to your side. In doing this, it is important to consider the different types of negotiators that you will be working with in your counterparts – otherwise you could make a misstep and end up pushing the discussions to a stalemate!

There are three primary types of negotiators - Competitors, Accommodators, and Avoiders. You will want to identify who you're working with so you can plan your strategy and take advantage accordingly.

Competitors

Let's start by talking about Competitors. Competitors are there because they want to be there. They really enjoy the negotiation process, even if it's contentious.

They can appear to be problem solvers, meaning that they want to help you with the problem that you are facing which has you in the negotiation to begin with - as they're comfortable in the process. They negotiate regularly, often seeking out opportunities to barter in daily life. So what you will see is going to be them selling even when they may not realize it or you may not realize it.

Bear in mind, this does not mean that they are necessarily good at negotiation or even successful at reaching resolutions that are beneficial for them in the long-run. Sometimes, they let the process get ahold of them and seek the the appearance of a win or an opportunity to declare a short-term win over a substantive win.

They are seeking an efficient resolution - but that is one-sided. That means they want a deal, but they want to win more than they want a deal. They will help you, by pushing to get a deal done and planning to allow them a ‘win’ to take the credit for, but they will also prove to be an impediment to closing a deal if it is not sufficient give them that ‘win.’

To use this to your advantage, leverage their desire to get a deal done to help you push other types of negotiators, in a multi-party negotiation, or in getting things started, even in a bilateral (two party) negotiation. But, remain mindful of their desire to ‘win’ and be certain to highlight such points and opportunities for them as the process approaches closing. Otherwise, you may find yourself having done all of that heavy lifting, just to wind up without a deal because they can’t see what ‘win’ they can claim, in the end.

Accommodators

Meanwhile, Accommodators are folks who are okay with the process but not necessarily comfortable with it. They can also appear to be problem solvers because they're approaching it with an openness and coming from a trusting place. But, at the end of the process, they're still there for themselves, as well.

They're primarily seeking fairness and then efficiency. That means that they want to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to get what they need out of the negotiation. They are not necessarily focused on getting the negotiation going and are only concerned with closing to the extent that it provides for someone’s need. This means that you can leverage them to help push for the close by setting the stage, regularly, for the needs of your side and the need to close a deal.

To use this to your advantage, take the time to really walk them through the reasons for why you need the deal points that you are advocating for and your need to close. By taking the time to explain the issues you are facing, you both show the Accommodator why you need the deal points you are advocating for and you make them a part of the process, imbuing them with part of the fairness that a deal, with the deal points to your benefit, will provide.

Avoiders

Well, we’ve put it off long enough, so let’s discuss Avoiders.

As the name implies, they are looking to avoid the subject. They prefer to discuss how great things are going to be after a deal is reached then to dig into any of the pieces of the problem. They are looking to talk about any other subject possible. As far as problem-solving goes, they will indicate a topical interest in such, but in reality they have no desire to do any of the work required to actually resolve substantive differences.

When they do have to think about the unpleasantness of a negotiation, they can become adversarial and appear as an angry Competitor. In part, this is because of their discomfort with the situation and in part this is because they believe that that's how they're supposed to behave - as if they're playing a role as an actor.

To use this to your advantage, set them up with opportunities for them to ‘play’ a role. This means sometimes setting out easy-to-see traps (so that they can see them even while they are trying to avoid focusing on the negotiation and the discussions around such). These are for them to take advantage of in a way that they will find rewarding as they are meeting the needs of the role-playing of a negotiator that they believe is called for while allowing you to move them forward along a line that you have pre-determined.

Conclusion

If you take the time to review who you're negotiating with and the type of negotiator that you're working with, you can plan your strategy accordingly and come out with what you need and what you want from the negotiation. To do this, plan ahead and develop essential roadmaps for strategies that leverage your opponents weaknesses. Of course, when doing so, be mindful of your own weaknesses and either plan accordingly or prepare yourself to stretch your own negotiation skills.

If you have any questions on this or other mediation topics please check out the website for videos, other articles, and MCLEs at CoherADR.com.