Negotiation Arena

Aim and purpose

The purpose of creating a negotiation arena is to gain an overview of which persons and groups of persons must be kept in mind during a negotiation.

Method

• who is directly affected by the outcome of the negotiations and is not sitting at the negotiating table?

In an institution, for example, this could be the boss who sent me as a negotiator. In a partnership, this can be the respective partner.

• Who else is affected by the outcome of the negotiations?

These can be colleagues of the same department in an institution. In a partnership this could be the children.

• Who could be affected in the broader sense by the outcome of the negotiations?

In an institution, these can be colleagues from other departments. In a partnership, maybe the relatives.

• Who else can you keep track of?

In an institution, maybe the competition. In a partnership, maybe the neighbors.

This can, of course, be continued with people and groups of people sitting further and further away from the negotiation centre.

These considerations can always be continued. However, the next step is particularly important when considering the negotiation arena:

How do I assess the situation myself? To what extent should I take these people and groups of people into account or not take care of them?

• What are the reasons for taking individual persons and groups of persons into account?
• Are the interests of the others clear, comprehensible to me and how can they influence my negotiation result?
• What negotiating mandate do I have anyway?
• How far could I get overruled?
• What influence will my decision have on future consequences?
• To what extent should I consult with my client before the negotiation?
• What influence do the individual persons and groups of persons have on the outcome of the negotiations?