Live8 Negotiaiton

 Maddie and I completed the negotiation over text.  I appreciated that it gave me more time to type up a response and gather my thoughts. I was also more comfortable hard balling a little bit more because being behind a phone screen feels safer.  However, using this method takes away the ability to form a better relationship with your negotiation partner by eliminating the opportunity to interact with them in person. I could see how this would be a more challenging means of communication for partners who wanted to build stronger relationships.

I know for myself, diminished privacy within our negotiation was a factor. I involved my fiance as Maddie and I were negotiating and explained the scenario to him. He was able to help me respond within Maddie knowing that I was sharing our negotiation which she may have intended to be solely between her and I. At no point, however, was there any contention between us. Maddie and I knew each other before the negotiation and were somewhat familiar with how we interact in person, so there was less room for misinterpretation of tone.

In any type of communication, it’s best to treat the other party with the same courtesy as you would in a face-to-face interaction. In my personal experience, assuming the best of intentions during an interaction rather than concluding that they meant to be contentious often results in more positive interactions.  Through this experience, I’ve learned that there is both merit and complications with negotiating over an electronic form of communication. Being allowed more time to gather my thoughts before presenting a counter offer, led to a better outcome for myself as the manager of the live8 art galleries. It’s also important to take advantage of the ability to run your responses by a third party who may be able to offer a different angle. This was a unique and interesting way to conduct a negotiation, and presented a different challenge compared to the other ways we have negotiated so far this semester.

 

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