You and Your Coworker: When You Disagree… Negotiate

You and Your Coworker: When You Disagree…  Negotiate

 

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Negotiate with the right person. Nothing is more frustrating¹ than approaching an individual to help you solve a problem, only to discover that he can’t. Figure out who can help you meet your needs, and then decide how best to approach that individual.

 

Ask questions. In the course of a typical negotiation², your coworker will say things you disagree with. He might even make an ultimatum³ or two. Don’t respond in kind. Probe his position by asking open-ended questions and posing hypothetical scenarios⁴. You’ll likely discover additional negotiating room as a result.

 

Let the other person make the first offer. Whenever possible, let the other person suggest an offer, a solution or a resolution before you suggest anything. The individual who makes the first offer in a negotiation often sets the baseline for further discussion. They also lose some strategic advantage once the discussion begins.

 

Know your strengths but don’t let on. Don’t let your coworker know fully⁵ what you can offer in the negotiation until the discussion progresses further. Save your best negotiating points and concessions⁷ for later.

 

Don’t be afraid to give in, but do it point by point. A good rule of thumb: make a concession⁶ only when your coworker makes a concession.

 

Think of negotiating as selling. Imagine you’re a salesperson⁸ who must convince your customer of the merits of your product. A “sales mindset” will help you maintain a positive and persuasive⁹ attitude.

 

Note the other’s objections. When you hear an objection to your argument, let your coworker know how the objection can be overcome.

 

Vocabulary Focus

in kind (idiom) in the same way

let on (idiom) to reveal or make something known that was previously¹⁰ unknown

Specialized¹¹ Terms

ultimatum (n) 最后通牒 a demand that a person or group do something to avoid something unpleasant

baseline (n) 底线 an imaginary line used as a starting point for making comparisons

concession (n) 让步，退让 something that is allowed or given up, often in order to end a disagreement, or the act of allowing or giving this

 

解决分歧的最佳途径——协商

 

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找对人来进行协商。没有比发现找来帮忙解决问题的人根本帮不上忙，更叫人气馁的了。先想清楚真正能满足你需要的人是谁，然后决定如何以最恰当的方式来和他接触。

提出问题。在典型的协商过程中，你的同事会说些你不同意的话。他甚至会提出一两项最后通牒。千万别以同样的方式回应。可以借着询问一些开放式的问题，提出假设性的状况，来探究他的立场。你很可能会从中发现更大的协商空间。

让对方先提议。尽可能在你提议任何事之前，让对方先提出意见、解决方法或决议。在协商中先提议的一方通常为之后的讨论设下底线。一旦讨论开始，他们也失去一些策略上的优势。

明白自己的实力但不对外透露。别让你的同事清楚知道在协商中你所能提供的条件，而要随着讨论慢慢来。将最有利的谈判筹码和退让留到最后。

不要怕让步，但要一步步来。经验法则：只有在对方退让时你才退让。

将协商视为销售行为。想象自己是个必须说服客户相信产品优点的推销员。抱持一种“推销的心态”，会帮助你保持积极并具说服力的态度。

留意别人的反对意见。在争论中听到有异议时，要让你同事知道能如何来克服分歧。

 

 

1 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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。

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 scenarios   

n.[意]情节；剧本；事态；脚本

参考例句：

• Further, graphite cores may be safer than non-graphite cores under some accident scenarios. 再者，根据一些事故解说，石墨堆芯可比非石墨堆芯更安全一些。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Again, scenarios should make it clear which modes are acceptable to users in various contexts. 同样，我们可以运用场景剧本来搞清楚在不同情境下哪些模式可被用户接受。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 concession   

n.让步，妥协；特许(权)

参考例句：

• We can not make heavy concession to the matter.我们在这个问题上不能过于让步。
• That is a great concession.这是很大的让步。

7 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

8 salesperson   

n.售货员，营业员，店员

参考例句：

• A salesperson works in a shop.售货员在商店工作。
• Vanessa is a salesperson in a woman's wear department.凡妮莎是女装部的售货员。

9 persuasive   

adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的

参考例句：

• His arguments in favour of a new school are very persuasive.他赞成办一座新学校的理由很有说服力。
• The evidence was not really persuasive enough.证据并不是太有说服力。

10 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

11 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。