Assess Your Negotiating Style*
To assess your negotiation style while preparing for negotiations, complete the following three steps- Complete the assessment to understand your negotiating style.
- Use the assessment to analyze the style of the other side. This is especially important in cross-cultural negotiations.
- Do a gap analysis. Locate the major gaps between your style and the other side’s style. Focus on these gaps when preparing for the negotiation.
Additional tip: After completing the gap analysis, try a role reversal exercise. Use the other side’s style as you practice the negotiation with a friend who will use your style. This will enable you to better understand the other side’s style.
Negotiating Style Assessment
Listed below are ten important traits of a person’s negotiating style and approach. Each trait demonstrates a wide range of variations, which can be organized along a continuum, as has been done below. With respect to each trait, indicate with an X where your own negotiating style and approach in business negotiation falls along each continuum.
| Goal: What is your goal in business negotiations: a binding contract or the creation of a relationship? | Contract |___|___|___|___|___| Relationship |
| Attitudes: What is your attitude toward negotiation: win/lose or win/win? | Win/Lose |___|___|___|___|___| Win/Win |
| Personal Styles: During negotiations, is your personal style informal or formal? | Informal |___|___|___|___|___| Formal |
| Communications: Is your communication style in negotiation direct (for instance, clear and definite proposals and answers) or indirect (for instance, vague, evasive answers)? | Direct |___|___|___|___|___| Indirect |
| Time Sensitivity: In the negotiation process, is your sensitivity to time high (for instance, you want to make a deal quickly) or low (you negotiate slowly)? | High |___|___|___|___|___| Low |
| Emotionalism: During negotiations, is your emotionalism high (that is, you have a tendency to display your emotions) or low (you hide your feelings)? | High |___|___|___|___|___| Low |
| Agreement Form: Do you prefer agreements that are specific (that is, detailed) or general? | Specific |___|___|___|___|___| General |
| Agreement Building: Do you view negotiation as bottom up (reach agreement on details first) or top down (begin with agreement on general principle)? | Bottom Up |___|___|___|___|___| Top Down |
| Team Organization: As a member of a negotiating team, do you prefer having one leader who has authority to make a decision or decision making by consensus? | One Leader |___|___|___|___|___| Consensus |
| Risk Taking: Is your tendency to take risks during negotiations high (for instance, your opening offer to sell is extremely high) or low? | High |___|___|___|___|___| Low |
