Chapter 4

The International Negotiators’ Toolkit

You now have a number of models, graphs, and matrixes to help you to plan, operate, and monitor your international negotiations. In this last chapter, you will find the international negotiator’s toolkit, which is a complementary set of tools to structure and organize your approach.

Sometimes you might feel uncomfortable with a negotiation. There are things that you want to do, but you don’t dare take the leap to do them. An international negotiator cannot be shy or fearful. You need to enjoy each single negotiation round. If not, you are either doing the wrong job, or doing it the wrong way.

It can also happen that you hesitate too much before a tempting decision, and you are not conscious of what is restraining you. The rubber band effect will help you to identify the factors holding you back (your weaknesses) and the factors pulling you forward (your strengths). Listing these will give you a better overview of the situation, and you will be able to decide about allocating more weight to one of the sides. You need to know what is holding you back, and what would release you and let you work the way you would enjoy. Figure 4.1 suggests some examples of influential factors.

The Roadmap

International negotiators rarely visualize the negotiation process holistically. They are more likely to have a fragmented view of parts of it: some that are written and structured and others that are just in their minds. The negotiation flow scheme in Figure 4.2 gives you an overview of the whole process. It helps you to better prepare your negotiations and monitor each phase, so you can see where you are going.

People tend to say that negotiation is a stressful activity. It is true to some extent, because the outcomes are always unknown. There is a lot to be thought through and done before, during and after. The list of things you should think about is even longer when you work in international settings, which will add to your stress. You will want to get some of them out of your way by becoming accustomed to them beforehand. Here are some universal behaviors you can adopt in your day-to-day life, which will save you time and effort when you are negotiating abroad:

•Never interrupt people when they are talking.

•Never sit with your legs crossed in a way that others can see the soles of your shoes.

•Never point to something or someone.

•Never touch a child’s head.

•Avoid putting business cards in your wallet or pocket immediately after you receive them.

•Accept invitations easily.

•Talk to people you don’t know and build relationships.

•Try to pick up on nonverbal clues.

If you acquire those habits when you are at home, you won’t need to think about any of them when you are negotiating abroad—they already will be part of your natural behavior. That will allow you to focus on your negotiation strategy—rather than avoiding making mistakes—increasing the time and energy you can devote to reaching your negotiation goals. You have too many core aspects of your negotiation to think about. The less time you devote to peripheral issues, the better you will feel.

The Intelligent International Negotiator

To be a better international negotiator, you should take into account the 10 cultural orientations and the four factors of the cultural intelligence model. The following table gives an overview of both.

Start by filling in the first column (cultural intelligence [CQ] drive) for each cultural orientation. This will allow you to understand your counterparts’ motivations and the reasons why they will negotiate with you. Do the same thing in the second column (CQ knowledge). This helps you understand their values and norms, and what is likely to be acceptable to them and what is not. The third column (CQ strategy) will help you understand to what extent their values translate into their negotiation strategy. The last column (CQ action) will help you to picture their communication styles and the types of information they find useful.

Let’s illustrate this in Table 4.1 by taking the French as an example of a culture you could negotiate with.

You can start by completing this table for your own culture. It will help you to know more about yourself and also to master the tool before you move smoothly to your counterparts’ cultures.

International Negotiator’s Toolkit

Here are several tools that will assist you in creating successful international negotiations.

You can start by identifying your own negotiating style by taking the following test.

What’s Your Behavioral Style as a Negotiator Questionnaire

For each of the following statements, you have 10 points. Divide those points among the three possible responses to indicate what sounds most like you. There is no right or ideal score. Just remember to always use all 10 points for each statement.

1. In preparation for a negotiation, you …

a._______ Wonder what your counterpart will be like and hope you will not be taken advantage of in the negotiation process.

b._______ Mentally prepare to compete with your counterpart and begin to plan your strategy.

c._______ Cautiously prepare your case, making sure you have supporting data and research to strengthen your position.

2. When initially meeting your counterpart, you …

a._______ Take time to connect on a personal level and concern yourself with setting a positive tone before beginning the negotiation.

b._______ Push to quickly present your goals, facts and data, having little need for social formalities before getting down to business.

c._______ Begin the process slowly, listening to your counterpart’s position before presenting your information.

3. In presenting information during the negotiation, you …

a._______ Want to make sure your counterparts know your concerns, but also know that you are concerned with their position.

b._______ Present only information that will strengthen your position.

c._______ Have a strong need to present all factual information in a detailed, sequential, and complete manner.

4. When it is difficult to gain agreement on a point, you are likely to …

a._______ Compromise your position if it means you can get an agreement and preserve the relationship.

b._______ Keep pursuing your options until you gain what you want.

c._______ Ask questions to better understand your counterpart’s position while continuing to present facts to support your position.

5. When your counterpart surprises you with important information you did not have, you …

a._______ Feel that your trust has been violated.

b._______ Quickly counter assertively with new information of your own.

c._______ Examine the new information in detail.

6. In trying to reach an outcome, at times you have …

a._______ Let the other party determine the outcome for the sake of reaching an agreement.

b._______ Used the other party’s weakness to your advantage.

c._______ Not budged from your position if you believed that you were right and the other party was not being ethical.

7. During the negotiation, your communication with the other party …

a._______ Is informal and not always related specifically to the negotiation.

b._______ Is assertive, direct, and specific to the negotiation.

c._______ Is cautious, reserved and unemotional.

8. When a negotiation is not going well for you, you …

a._______ Get frustrated and begin to feel you are being personally taken advantage of.

b._______ Focus on strategies you can use to achieve your desired outcome.

c._______ Focus on the available facts and data and look for viable alternatives to help you achieve your desired outcome.

9. When you need additional information from your counterpart, you …

a._______ Worry that your counterpart will feel pressured or threatened by too many questions.

b._______ Question your counterpart directly, targeting only specific information you need to be successful.

c._______ Question your counterpart thoroughly to ensure the facts you have are complete and detailed.

10. At the conclusion of the negotiation you …

a._______ Care what your counterpart thinks about you and try hard to end the negotiation on a positive note.

b._______ Are less concerned about what your counterpart thinks about you and more concerned about whether you have achieved your goals.

c._______ Are concerned that your counterpart feels the final outcome was fair.

a._______ Total

b._______ Total

c._______ Total

Total = 100

If you’ve got higher score for a, your style is amiable, for b, you are a driver, or for c, you are an analytical negotiator. Here are the characteristics of each:

When you prepare your negotiation strategy, use the Cultural Analysis Grid to better understand your counterpart’s cultural environment. It summarizes the most relevant information you should get before undertaking a negotiation.

Cultural Analysis Grid

High- and Low-Context Country Orientation Table

Know what differentiates high-context and low-context cultures’ negotiators, according to Hall, by using this table:

High- and Low-Context Culture Assessment

Assess your tendency to be from a high- or a low-context culture by using the following 10-point scale test:

If your answers are more often on the left side of the scale, you tend to be from a low-context culture. The right side of the scale demonstrates a high-context culture’s characteristics.

Linear-Active, Multiactive, and Reactive Culture Table

Know about the main characteristics of linear-active, multiactive, and reactive types of cultures, according to Lewis.

Monochronic and Polychronic Management Style Table

Be able to identify monochronic and polychronic people by using the following table. Start by identifying your own time management style.

Cultural Compass Assessment

Know about your cultural profile by using this cultural compass assessment: Rank the following according to similarity to your own ­perspective 3 – most like me 2 – next most like me 1 – least like me:

10. _____ a. You have to be guided by what you think is right, even if you can’t please everyone.

_____ b. It works best to have a good leader make the decisions; everyone should cooperate accordingly.

_____ c. Decisions affecting a group are more effective if everyone participates in the decision making.

11. _____ a. It is the individual I respect—not his or her position.

_____ b. Leaders of a group deserve respect because of their position.

_____ c. First and foremost comes unity; people who think of themselves first live at expense of others.

12. _____ a. The head of a group has to take responsibility for its success or failure.

_____ b. If someone in my group is having a problem, I am partially responsible for resolving it.

_____ c. I am accountable for my own success or failure.

Now score your individual culture compass. Place the number recorded beside each statement in the following appropriate space and add at the right. The highest number for each dimension indicates your preferred approach.

1a _____+ 2c	_____+ 3b	_____=	_____ Past
1b  _____+ 2a	_____+ 3c	_____=	_____ Present
1c  _____+ 2b	_____+ 3a	_____=	_____ Future
4c  _____+ 5b	_____+ 6a	_____=	_____ Yielding
4a  _____+ 5c	_____+ 6b	_____=	_____ Harmonious
4b  _____+ 5a	_____+ 6c	_____=	_____ Controlling
7c  _____+ 8c	_____+ 9a	_____=	_____ Doing
7b  _____+ 8a	_____+ 9c	_____=	_____ Being
7a  _____+ 8b	_____+ 9b	_____=	_____ Becoming
10a  _____+ 11a	_____+ 12c	_____=	_____ Individual
10c  _____+ 11c	_____+ 12b	_____=	_____ Mutual
10b  _____+ 11b	_____+ 12a	_____=	_____ Ranked