Agenda Setting for Successful Negotiations: Objectives, Phases, and Key Strategies, Slides of Political Science

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Setting an Agenda

for Successful Negotiations

Entering Negotiations

• Both parties should:
  • Have a clear idea of objectives and how they can be achieved
  • Need to agree that a new solution is needed
  • Agree to agree on a new solution
  • Be better off with a negotiated solution

Agenda Setting

• To conclude successful negotiations, one

needs

• A clear agenda for negotiations, stating
  • The objectives
  • How they will be achieved
  • The counterpart’s objectives
  • How they will be responded to
• Must specify objectives, steps, strategies

Different Phases in Negotiations

• Three stages of negotiations

• Diagnostic Phase
• Formula Phase
• Detail Phase

• Use the diagnostic phase to set an

agenda for the negotiations

Diagnostic Phase

• Is the problem ripe for solution?
  • Information gathering: facts, causes, history, changes, evolution
• What are our interests?
• What are our counterpart’s interests?
• What positions will we state?
• How will we react to their positions?
• Use ambiguity and avoid total commitment

Formula Phase

• Deciding how to negotiate
  • Inductively
  • Deductively
• Involves direct contact between parties
  • Be flexible and keep an open mind
  • Tackle the problem, not the other party
  • Do not be deterred by unfriendly behavior
  • Keep talking
  • Keep details in mind when proposing formulae

Detail Phase

• Builds on the agreed-upon formula
  • May require going back to formula if an agreement cannot be worked out
  • Signaling during negotiations
• Problematic because this is where the nitty-

gritty details have to be worked out

• Who concedes what position?
• What is acceptable?

Key to Success

• Preparations, preparations, preparations
• Icelandic negotiations behavior generally

indicates lack of preparation

• Few or no alternatives have been formulated
  • Counter-offers not successfully employed
• Instances for Iceland to build on:
  • Kyoto – “íslenska ákvæðið”
  • Fisheries negotiations