You and Your Coworker: When You Disagree… Negotiate

You and Your Coworker: When You Disagree…  Negotiate

 

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Anticipate shock tactics. Good negotiators know that “shock tactics” are a normal part of serious negotiation¹ discussions. Always maintain a sense of decorum, even when others appear angry, frustrated² or disgusted. Your decorum signals your willingness to continue the discussion—but on civil terms.

 

Don’t be afraid of ultimatums⁴. Negotiators sometimes use ultimatums to force an end to discussion or to resolve an issue on their terms. When confronted with an ultimatum³, maintain a calm, dispassionate attitude, and don’t simply give in. If the discussion continues, you’ll be able to continue working toward your objectives. If negotiations⁵ are cut off as the result of an ultimatum, chances are the outcome wouldn’t have been favorable to you anyway.

 

Look at the big picture. If you and your coworker agree on the big picture, you can agree “in principle” to your mutual⁶ objective—and pursue the details later. An agreement in principle often removes a major stumbling block to successful negotiations, since it may put you and the other person on the same side.

 

Look for “yes” opportunities. Remain on the lookout⁷ for points you and the other person agree on. When negotiations are not going well—even when they seem doomed⁸—agreement on a relatively⁹ minor¹⁰ point can often change the tone of the discussion. When you hear a “yes,” thank your coworker and reaffirm your desire to conclude an agreement.

 

Remember that winning isn’t everything. In a productive negotiation, both sides give away something in order to gain something of greater value. Don’t enter a negotiation with the intention of browbeating¹² your opponent or “winning” the deal. Instead, seek to arrive at a win-win outcome that leaves both you and your coworker enthusiastic about the result and eager to negotiate again.

 

Vocabulary Focus

big picture (n phr) a wide view or perspective of a situation or problem

on the lookout (idiom) to search or watch carefully for something or someone

doomed (adj) [du:md] certain to fail, die or be destroyed

win-win (adj) [win win] relating to a situation in which you cannot lose, whatever choice of action you make, or in which all the groups involved will gain benefits

 

Specialized¹³ Terms

browbeat¹¹ (v) 威吓，恫吓 to try to force someone to do something by threatening or using strong and unfair persuasion¹⁴

 

解决分歧的最佳途径——协商

 

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预期对方会使用吓阻战术。高明的谈判协商者都知道在重大的协商过程中，“吓阻战术”的运用是很正常的一部分。即使当其他人显得愤怒、挫败或厌恶时，你还是要保持庄重有礼的态度。你的端庄有礼，象征着你乐于继续磋商——但要以文明理性的方式。

无惧最后通牒。协商者有时利用最后通牒来迫使讨论结束，或者以他们的方式对议案做成决议。面临最后通牒时，保持冷静沉着的态度，别因此就退让。如果讨论持续进行，你可以继续朝目标努力。如果因最后通牒之故而导致协商中断，那么很可能就算继续谈下去，其结果也将不会是你所乐见的。

蓄眼在大局。如果你和同事对整体大局有共识，你们可以“原则上”同意双方的共同目标——之后再继续研究细节。在原则上达成共识，通常也就除去了阻碍成功协商的主要绊脚石，因为它将使你和对方有一致的立场。

寻求“肯定”的机会。持续留意你和对方都一致同意的看法。当协商进行得不顺利——甚至要宣告破裂时——在次要观点上的一致看法经常能够改变讨论的基调。当你听到的答覆是“是的”时，谢谢你的同事，并重申你对达成共识的渴望。

切记胜利并非一切。在建设性的协商谈判中，双方都会为了获取较大利益而放弃某些东西。不要抱持着恫吓你的对手或“赢得”的意图来进行协商。反倒应该致力达成让你和同事都乐见，并渴望再度协商的双赢结局

 

 

1 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

2 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 ultimatum   

n.最后通牒

参考例句：

• This time the proposal was couched as an ultimatum.这一次该提议是以最后通牒的形式提出来的。
• The cabinet met today to discuss how to respond to the ultimatum.内阁今天开会商量如何应对这道最后通牒。

4 ultimatums   

最后通牒( ultimatum的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Environmental groups in Nevada and the Midwest have issued similar ultimatums. 内华达和中西部的环保团体也发布了类似的最后通牒。
• A proactive teacher doesn't deliver ultimatums. [先发制人式]师并不下最后通牒。

5 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

6 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

7 lookout   

n.注意，前途，瞭望台

参考例句：

• You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
• It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来，公司的前景可就不妙了。

8 doomed   

命定的

参考例句：

• The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。
• A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。

9 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

10 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

11 browbeat   

v.欺侮；吓唬

参考例句：

• They browbeat him into signing the document.他们威逼他签署了文件。
• The judge browbeat the witness.那法官威吓证人。

12 browbeating   

v.（以言辞或表情）威逼，恫吓( browbeat的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr Zha urges America to refrain from browbeating China into accepting distant targets for future reductions. 查先生敦促美国不要威胁中国为今后减少排放而去接受这遥远的目标。 来自互联网

13 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

14 persuasion   

n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派

参考例句：

• He decided to leave only after much persuasion.经过多方劝说，他才决定离开。
• After a lot of persuasion,she agreed to go.经过多次劝说后，她同意去了。