Employee motivation is a continual challenge for businesses of all sizes, and it remains one of the most significant factors that determine productivity.
When many business owners think of motivation, employee bonuses and other perks often come to mind.
However, many managers are unaware that ongoing training and development programs are also proven to work as effective motivators: including adequate training for new hires, on the job training, and growth paths for aspiring leaders.
Motivating with Versatile Continuing Education
Most managers understand the importance of new hire training; however, research has shown that new hires may forget over 80% of what they learned after a few weeks.
The purpose of providing your employees with continuing education is to keep that important initial knowledge fresh, while providing new tools and resources for them to build upon.
Email communication is often utilized as a method of providing employees with a form of continuing education to remind them of training details or obligations they may have forgotten.
However, often a more desirable approach from the employee’s perspective is to incorporate new training and development programs.
Email communication may have its role within your organization because of its efficiency, but you may often find that your employees will be more consistent, skilled and motivated when you adopt more detailed approaches to continuing education.
Keeping New Hires Motivated
New hires can lose motivation if they are struggling with their transition and don’t have the resources they need to continue to develop after their initial training session.
Although some new hires may be able to adjust, it’s always beneficial to have specialized training and development programs available for them.
These programs can ease their transition into your organization and provide more consistency with their training over time, giving them the opportunity for the knowledge to sink in.
This type of training can help lower turnover, build creative teamwork, keep motivation high, and set a standard of performance and realistic expectations for new hires.
Helping Both the Company and Employees in the Long Term
Employees want to succeed for their personal lives, providing a better future for their family and themselves. Obviously, business leaders want them to succeed to service the business.
It’s up to company leaders if they want their training and development programs to do more than just help their employees do their current job better.
If leaders decide to also include personal growth and skill building into their ongoing training, employees will often be grateful and reward them with better performance, more motivation, and an authentic desire to want the company to be successful.
Most training programs can harness the innate drive that employees have to succeed at their job for a successful outcome.
But if supplementary skill training, personal development exercises, and even recreational events can be included, it can be a much richer and more rewarding experience for all parties in the long term.
Effective continuing education fuels a passionate workforce that is motivated towards both productivity and self-fulfillment. To learn more about the options available to your organization, contact us at (416)-307-0000.
To learn conflict resolution skills that you can use at work and in your personal life, please visit our Alternative Dispute Resolution Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To improve your negotiation skills and get the results you want while negotiating, please visit our Become a Powerful Negotiator Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To gain skills to handle difficult conversations and difficult people with confidence, please visit our Dealing With Difficult People Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
By: Linda Branch, The Barbados Advocate
Mediation as an alternative means of settling disputes will become part of Barbados’ judicial landscape in the near future in an effort to save time and money, a judiciary representative said yesterday.
“We haven’t made the decision yet as to whether it will be compulsory or not, but there will be some provisions for mediation in the new rules,” stated Chief Justice Sir David Simmons. He explained that putting a court connected mediation system in place was a component of the Justice Improvement Project setting new rules of court to improve the judicial process.
“The ADR (alternative dispute resolution) is now a very contemporary mechanism used in the common law world to assist in settling disputes rather than pursuing the disputes by way of litigation in court,” added Sir David. “It is happening in the region already and that is where I want to take Barbados”.
Although disputing parties would still have the right to continue through the court system should they desire, the use of a mediator at an early junction of the litigation process was viewed as an option that could be advantageous for all involved.
“It is a way of keeping down costs and taking a lot of the acrimony out of litigation and it saves a tremendous amount of court time,” said the Chief Justice.
The discussed establishment of a mediation system would complement a move by the judiciary to take case management out of the hands of lawyers and place the managing of caseloads under the responsibilities of judges. Sir David believes these tandem changes would help cases to be more speedily addressed.
“It takes too long between filing a case and hearing it and our determination, within I would say the next 18 months, is to start to change that to make sure that the time between filing the case and having it heard and completed is perhaps no more than 18 months,” stated the Chief Justice. Sir David noted that Sir Dennis Byron, Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, had already implemented with success what Barbados was now discussing.
Sir Simmons made these comments during the second day of a two-day seminar, held at the Amaryllis Beach Resort, to educate judges and magistrates about the mediation process and case management. The seminar was led by Master Calum MacLeod, Superior Court of Justice in Ontario, Canada and Allan Stitt, head of Stitt Feld Handy Group in Toronto which specializes in mediating disputes.
As a Master in Ontario’s court system, MacLeod explained that he managed cases and heard trial motions as well as supervised the mandatory mediation system process for civil disputes. Since the programmes’s implementation in 1997, he said an estimated 40 per cent of civil cases were settled through mediation. With the average civil case taking four years to reach trial and costing some $40,000 per party, Master MacLeod said mediation offered a fair and just alternative for litigants.
In addition to a seminar tomorrow for members of the bar association, Sir Simmons said there would be an additional seminar in January for members of the public who have an interest in mediating. He noted that there were funds available under the Justice Improvement Project for the training of mediators.
To learn conflict resolution skills that you can use at work and in your personal life, please visit our Alternative Dispute Resolution Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To improve your negotiation skills and get the results you want while negotiating, please visit our Become a Powerful Negotiator Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To gain skills to handle difficult conversations and difficult people with confidence, please visit our Dealing With Difficult People Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
First published in Up-Date Magazine, May 2011 issue
Written by Shireen Sondhi, Stitt Feld Handy Group
When should you go to mediation?
The short answer is that mediation can be conducted at any stage of the dispute resolution process. However, there are many different factors that can help you to determine when it is most beneficial.
Ideally, the best time to consider alternative methods of dispute resolution is before a dispute arises. You may, for example consider including a dispute resolution clause in all of your contracts that provide for certain processes to be followed before resorting to litigation. These types of clauses can be included in both internal contracts with employees and external contracts with suppliers, service providers, other businesses, etc.
As an organization, you may choose to design an internal conflict resolution system. The extent of the system will depend on a number of factors, including the size of your organization, the time frame available to resolve disputes, confidentiality requirements and the types and number of disputes your organization faces. Any size organization can have a dispute resolution system. It can be as small as a single individual or large as a whole department.
An organization considering implementing a conflict resolution system should think about why they want the system and what they want it to accomplish. Some common organizational goals include:
• To reduce time and costs
• Improve or maintain the relationship
• Achieve a satisfactory outcome
• Deal with emotions
• Avoid future disputes
A conflict resolution system can include many different types of processes – training, negotiation, mediation, arbitration, neutral evaluation, etc. and should meet the specific needs of your organization. Once you have determined your objectives, there are many experts in the field of ADR who can assist in creating a conflict resolution system that best fits your organization’s corporate culture.
If, however, you are faced with an existing dispute, when you go to mediation depends on a number of factors, such as whether there is a court proceeding.
If you are involved in a court proceeding, your case may be subject to mandatory mediation requirements. In Toronto, Ottawa and Windsor, the vast majority of all civil cases are subject to mandatory mediation. Under the Rules of Civil Procedure, these mediations must be conducted within 180 days of filing the defence.
If you are not subject to mandatory mediation, you may have more flexibility as to when to mediate, given that both parties consent to the mediation. If one of your objectives to mediate is to save money, you may want to consider conducting the mediation before the discovery stage since that is where most legal costs are incurred. You may be more hesitant to settle if you have invested a large amount of time or money in the dispute up to that point. You may also become more grounded in your position and less willing to compromise if you are facing mounting legal costs.
However, if you are hesitant to settle before finding out the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent, you may want to wait until after the discovery process. Through the discovery process, you may find out that you underestimated their position and/or overestimated your position, which may encourage you to settle quickly. They also may have underestimated your position and/or overestimated their position, in which case it will become easier for you to encourage them to settle.
If your dispute has not reached the level of litigation, you may be required to attend mediation by statute or contract clause. The statute or contract clause may provide some guidance as to when to commence the mediation. If you are not bound by statute or contract, mediation can be conducted as soon as both parties agree to the process. Mediation has several advantages and mediating as soon as possible can allow you to get the most out of these benefits. For example, mediation can:
• Allow for creative solutions that are not available in the court system
• Set the groundwork for future settlement
• Reduce cost
• Reduce time spent involved in the dispute
So the answer to the question, “When should I mediate?”, is not so straightforward. However, in deciding when to mediate, it is important to look at your objectives and expectations and to start thinking about dispute resolution as early as possible.
To learn conflict resolution skills that you can use at work and in your personal life, please visit our Alternative Dispute Resolution Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To improve your negotiation skills and get the results you want while negotiating, please visit our Become a Powerful Negotiator Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To gain skills to handle difficult conversations and difficult people with confidence, please visit our Dealing With Difficult People Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
There has been a strong movement lately to get rid of Opening Statements (sometimes called Storytelling or an Opening) at the beginning of mediations. Lawyers tell me that they each understand the other side’s case, and won’t be persuaded by each other’s arguments, so don’t see the point in having an Opening. They also suggest that the Opening Statements will polarize and unnecessarily antagonize.
Many mediators agree and dispense with Openings, especially if the parties have gone through discovery.
While I agree that there are situations where an Opening is unnecessary, I think this is an unfortunate trend and that lawyers are missing an important and unique opportunity when they dispense with the Opening Statement.
Lawyers are not wrong when they say that won’t persuade each other. But that is not the purpose of the Opening.
The most important purpose of the Opening, in my opinion, is to help the other side understand the case that you will present in court that a judge could accept. In order to make concessions to you and to your client, the other side doesn’t need to be convinced that your client is right or will win, they just have to see the risk that a judge will find against them or, in their view, ‘get it wrong’. If they perceive that risk, they will make concessions. The more risk they see, the more concessions they’ll make.
So your Opening should be focused on what arguments you would make in court, what evidence you’ll be relying on, what law you’ll use to convince the judge that your client could win, not on why your client is right or why your client will win in court.
The distinction is subtle, but important. For example, if there is a credibility issue in your case, your Opening should not focus on the fact that your witness is telling the truth, but rather that your witness is believable. A lawyer at a mediation I was at said recently, “I wasn’t there; I don’t know who’s telling the ‘truth’; but I do know that my witness sounds believable. If a judge believes my witness, we’ll win the case”. The issue in a credibility case is not who is telling the truth, but whom a judge will believe. If the other side believes that your side’s witness could be believed (even if they are convinced that your side’s witness is lying), they may perceive a risk and see the benefit of making compromises.
And that’s where the mediator comes in. If lawyers present in the way I’ve suggested, the mediator can use what was said in caucus to discuss with each side the risks of a judge finding against them. The mediator doesn’t have to focus on who will win; just on the risk of a judge finding against them based on the arguments presented at the Opening.
If you present the arguments you’ll be making as opposed to arguing that your client is right and will win, that will significantly remove the risk of polarizing and antagonizing. After all, you are just presenting what you will be arguing in court, not suggesting the outcome in court. There’s nothing for the other side to argue about because you’re not saying that your arguments are the ‘objective truth’ or the ‘fair result’ (two of the common antagonizing themes in Openings), you’re just telling the other side what you’ll be arguing.
So in determining whether an Opening would be helpful, you should ask yourself whether the other side’s lawyer has explained your case to his or her client as well and as persuasively as you could. If the answer is yes, there is little value in the Opening. I’ve yet to have a lawyer tell me that the answer is yes.
Allan Stitt
Allan Stitt is the President of ADR Chambers where he mediates and arbitrates. He also teaches ADR with the Stitt Feld Handy Group.
To learn conflict resolution skills that you can use at work and in your personal life, please visit our Alternative Dispute Resolution Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To improve your negotiation skills and get the results you want while negotiating, please visit our Become a Powerful Negotiator Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To gain skills to handle difficult conversations and difficult people with confidence, please visit our Dealing With Difficult People Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
I recently had the opportunity to practise using an “I statement” to discuss a friend’s “difficult behaviour”. This friend (who shall remain nameless) has been known for his lateness, although I must say that his time-management skills have improved considerably. However, this weekend we had made plans to go out and once again he was late. As he got into my car, any excuse for his tardiness was fair game… The DVP highway was closed, it took him 45 minutes to get home from the grocery store, he had to shower before meeting me… The list went on and on. As you probably all know, the typical “I statement” format is, “I feel […] when you […], in the future, could you […]”. In the heat of the moment, my “I statement” came out as follows: “It’s really annoying when you’re late and you blame it on things that you could have predicted… I would understand if something unexpected came up, but it seems like you knew about everything that you said made you late. Why can’t you just apologize?”. Granted, not the perfect “I statement”, both in terms of format and tone. I was actually expecting a counter-attack, but instead got the following response, “You’re right. I’m sorry and I do have a problem with time-management.” Needless to say, I was a little shocked, but hey, power to the “I statement” (even if used a little improperly).
To learn conflict resolution skills that you can use at work and in your personal life, please visit our Alternative Dispute Resolution Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To improve your negotiation skills and get the results you want while negotiating, please visit our Become a Powerful Negotiator Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To gain skills to handle difficult conversations and difficult people with confidence, please visit our Dealing With Difficult People Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
Published by Human Resource Director
Written by Mallory Hendry
October 30, 2019
As Halloween approaches, the scariest part of the season for employers can be how to handle inappropriate or offensive costumes in the workplace.
“Social events in the workplace, such as Halloween parties, can contribute very positively to workplace culture but they are not without risks,” says Elinor Whitmore, Vice President of the Stitt Feld Handy Group, a division of ADR Chambers.
It is well-known that employers have the responsibility to ensure their workplaces are free from issues such as harassment, discrimination and bullying. Whitmore, a mediator, facilitator, workplace consultant and certified professional coach, says “if an employee’s costume or conduct during a Halloween party were to cross one of those lines, there would be an expectation that the employer would deal appropriately with the situation.”
An employer’s response to a complaint depends on many factors, Whitmore says, including the nature of the complaint – was it is a formal or informal complaint, for example – and what the company policies are. The bottom line, regardless of these factors, is that every complaint should be taken seriously and the employer needs to ensure he or she responds appropriately.
“Some employers may be tempted to dismiss or minimize a complaint about a costume thinking it isn’t work-related or isn’t of sufficient concern to warrant being taken seriously – but they do so at their peril,” Whitmore warns. Whitmore, who has mediated various workplace conflicts including disputes between colleagues, between managers and employees and within teams, says “this is where an ounce of prevention would be worth a pound of cure and an employer likely should take reasonable steps to avoid this situation occurring in the first place.”
She notes that while a company might have existing policies regarding acceptable conduct and clothing, a good rule of thumb is for the company to have guidelines that apply to social events and anticipate the specific risks that may arise. If, for example, an employer doesn’t have a dress code or a policy relating to alcohol consumption, a Halloween office party “may leave them in a more vulnerable position if they subsequently want to take action against someone who wore a problematic costume.”
It is impossible to determine if action against an employee for an inappropriate costume would withstand challenge, and because of this uncertainty, clear guidelines around acceptable clothing and conduct are an employer’s best defence.
“It would be best to try to minimize the risk as much as possible,” Whitmore says, noting that although she is an expert in conflict resolution, her advice to her clients is always that the best form of conflict resolution is prevention.
“In that way, we are like doctors – if there is a way to prevent the disease, it is much better than trying to cure it.”
Whitmore points to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recently publicized “brown face” costume – where Trudeau, a then-29-year-old teacher came dressed up as Disney’s Aladdin, complete with painted skin – as an example of the damage a workplace Halloween costume can cause.
“Problematic costumes can result in people being hurt and offended, can undermine the credibility of the person wearing the costume, can divert people’s attention away from other issues, undermine morale and a host of other problems,” she says. “As much as possible, employers should be mindful of how they can pro-actively minimize these risks so that their workplaces can reap the benefits of these social events.”
To learn conflict resolution skills that you can use at work and in your personal life, please visit our Alternative Dispute Resolution Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To improve your negotiation skills and get the results you want while negotiating, please visit our Become a Powerful Negotiator Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To gain skills to handle difficult conversations and difficult people with confidence, please visit our Dealing With Difficult People Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
The world has forever changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. People are still getting into disputes as often as before but it can be harder to effectively deal with those disputes. One effective tool for learning how to deal with disputes is online conflict resolution training. By taking courses like this, people can build their skills in conflict resolution. Virtual instructor-led conflict resolution training is a workshop that is led by live instructors in real time and involves consistent interaction among participants.
Virtual instructor lead conflict resolution training is done using video conferencing technology. People who take the workshop will be given an opportunity to learn a number of new skills to better their ability to resolve issues as these issues come up. Additionally, through the online conflict resolution training you have the ability to practise some of the skills that you are learning. You will be paired with many other people who are looking to build their skills and you will have opportunities to learn from each other as well as from experienced instructors.
Having the ability to interact with others in a live interactive environment is critical for skill building. When workshops are offered live a significant benefit is the ability to talk to and learn from others. That is why interaction is necessary for a successful virtual instructor-led conflict resolution training program. Experience shows that the learning potential of people who are taking the workshop is increased by the greater amount of interactivity offered. Participants will engage in different exercises with each other in their online conflict resolution training course, and these activities will build and strengthen their skills.
If you are interested in signing up for one of our online conflict resolution training workshops, or if you have any questions about doing the workshop over the Internet, one of our instructors would be happy to talk to you to answer your questions. Before we started doing virtual instructor-led conflict resolution training none of us were sure how it would work out. Now that we have had more experience offering this type of learning opportunity, we would be happy to share our experience with you. Learn more about these programs at adr.ca.
To learn conflict resolution skills that you can use at work and in your personal life, please visit our Alternative Dispute Resolution Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To improve your negotiation skills and get the results you want while negotiating, please visit our Become a Powerful Negotiator Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To gain skills to handle difficult conversations and difficult people with confidence, please visit our Dealing With Difficult People Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
We all have to deal with conflict in all aspects of our lives. For most of us, conflict can be unpleasant and something we try to avoid. As a manager, however, it’s your responsibility to tackle any conflict within your team and make sure it doesn’t escalate.
Managing conflict requires maturity, patience and empathy. You need to be aware of your own emotional responses, and the way these might be interpreted by your staff. This can be tough, and there are plenty of training resources and consultants who can help you to do this.
There are also some things you can work on yourself in order to help you manage conflict successfully.
Awareness
It’s important to not only be aware of the relationships amongst your team members, but also the impression you give to them. As a leader, do you encourage openness from your staff? Do they feel able to come and talk to you on a regular basis, or do you brush aside ad hoc conversations because you are too busy? Making time for people is essential if you want to have a happy team. How do managers deal with conflict amongst themselves? People take their cues for behaviour from those at the top—if people see disagreements being dealt with openly and maturely from their leaders, it’s more likely that they will be inclined to approach conflict in this way themselves. Encouraging an environment of openness and trust can go a long way to preventing conflict from arising in the first place.
Early Response
It’s imperative to ensure that any conflict is dealt with quickly in order to prevent it from becoming a bigger problem. If your staff feel able to talk to you regularly, it’s more likely that you will become quickly aware of any issues. As a manager, you no doubt have other responsibilities apart from people management, so it’s very easy for this to be the first thing to slip if you are busy. Don’t let it. Keeping a constant dialogue will allow you to spot potential issues, and nip them in the bud.
Listening
Listening is a key aspect of managing conflict successfully. Sometimes it can be enough just for people to feel that they have had the opportunity to air their views, and that those views have been taken seriously. Listening takes time and patience—make sure you draw out the specific problems. Be aware of your non-verbal communication, and of your own emotional responses. It is understandable to become irritated now and then, but don’t let this show, as it will make your staff feel like you are not empathizing or, worse yet, not taking them seriously.
Collaborative Solutions
Involving people in developing a solution to the problem can really ensure a long-lasting resolution. Try to bring the relevant parties together to work on a solution. It will take some time to get to this point, but after everyone has had a chance to say their piece independently, handing over responsibility for the resolution can make people feel like they are trusted and being given autonomy.
Some conflicts will be difficult to resolve, even if you become an expert at all of the above. In some cases, bringing in an independent conflict management mediator can be an excellent idea. The very fact of having someone independent from the organization can help to encourage a sense of openness and fairness when dealing with conflict. To learn more about our Conflict Resolution Workshop visit adr.ca.
To learn conflict resolution skills that you can use at work and in your personal life, please visit our Alternative Dispute Resolution Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To improve your negotiation skills and get the results you want while negotiating, please visit our Become a Powerful Negotiator Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To gain skills to handle difficult conversations and difficult people with confidence, please visit our Dealing With Difficult People Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
Difficult clients. Difficult customers. Every business has them. It’s one thing to have to interact with a difficult person, but when that difficult person is someone to whom you are trying to provide a service, it becomes even more challenging. There are many different types of difficult clients. Some are extremely time-consuming and high-maintenance; some are excessively argumentative; and some are so difficult that they defy categorization. No matter what type of difficult client you have, here are some handy tips you can use to help deal with them.
1. Identify difficult clients. One of the most important skills for dealing with difficult clients is identifying them. Being able to target these clients often comes with experience in the industry but, with proper training, even a new employee can spot a difficult client when one appears. Identifying problem clients is crucial because it allows the business to tailor its expectations of the client, and to minimize the conflict that will come from interactions with the client.
2. Manage the client’s expectations from day one. When you have a high-maintenance client, one of the best ways to prevent future conflict is to manage his or her expectations. At your very first meeting with the client, you should ask about what he or she expects of your business or your service. Set clear guidelines of what you are able to do for the client, and politely correct any erroneous assumptions he or she has made. One good example for this strategy is a lawyer-client relationship. Often, clients will have inflated expectations about settlement amounts and time frames. It is important for the lawyer to explain what the client can realistically expect in his or her case, and take the time to explain why this is so. Often, difficult clients don’t understand that they are being unreasonable. Taking the opportunity to explain the process at the outset can go a long way.
3. Always be clear and honest. This strategy is a continuation of managing the expectations of the client. In every communication with a problem client, honesty is the best policy. Avoiding confrontation will only worsen the conflict. Are you in the office that day, but don’t have time to speak with the client? Be honest. Having a problem client catch you in even a white lie will create conflict. Is the client being unrealistic in his or her goals for your service? Be honest. Hearing the truth may shock or upset the client at first, but it is a far better outcome than reaching the end of your relationship and having a disgruntled customer.
4. Stay calm and call for backup if you need it. Don’t take it personally. No matter how much a client may get under your skin, you need to remain professional and calm at all times. See every interaction with a problem client as an opportunity to convert the client into a loyal customer. In addition, remember that you don’t have to do this alone. Keep your staff informed about the difficult client and have a team strategy for dealing with the client. If things get out of hand, or you are having difficulty remaining calm, call on your employees or coworkers to help keep you on track.
If your company has been struggling in its interaction with difficult clients, Stitt Feld Handy Group can help. We offer comprehensive training for employees and business owners to help them develop strategies for dealing with difficult clients.
To learn conflict resolution skills that you can use at work and in your personal life, please visit our Alternative Dispute Resolution Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To improve your negotiation skills and get the results you want while negotiating, please visit our Become a Powerful Negotiator Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To gain skills to handle difficult conversations and difficult people with confidence, please visit our Dealing With Difficult People Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
Small business owners use negotiation tactics every day. Whether finalizing a deal with customers, suppliers, or employees, having good negotiation skills can go a long way to boost the profitability of a business. Any small business owner knows how important it is to guard their reputation. It is how you attract (and keep) clients. Good negotiation skills not only help your bank account, but they can also help with your public relations. Here are three negotiation skills, with examples, to illustrate how you can use them with suppliers, employees, and clients:
1. RESEARCH: When you are negotiating, it’s important to do your research ahead of time. Small business owners have to negotiate contracts of all kinds, from rent to services to equipment rentals. If you are a good negotiator, you can cut down your overhead costs by negotiating discounts with your suppliers. One of the best ways to do this is to go to the negotiation armed with information. Call and get quotes from other providers. Learn what services you actually need, and be prepared to ask tough questions if the supplier is trying to sell you on a bonus product or service. Most importantly, never go into a negotiation blind. Always have a predetermined idea of what you think would be a fair outcome. While you may have to adjust up or down, if you feel like the result is too far away from your ballpark estimate, tell the supplier that you’d like to do more research and get back to them.
2. CREATIVITY: If you’re an effective negotiator, you will think creatively to find out ways to get what you want. Let’s say, for example, that you really want a certain employee, for his talent, but you can’t pay him the salary that he is seeking. An effective negotiator will be able to use creative means to get what they want. By exploring other options with the prospective employee, such as flex time, or even by selling the employee on the experience and the work environment that your company offers, you can get what you want (the employee) at a price you can afford. Being able to highlight what your small business has to offer is an important negotiation skill. Creative negotiators always find a way to make the person on the other side of the table feel like they’re getting a good deal too.
3. CLARITY: When you’re negotiating with clients or customers, it is important to be firm. They will respect you for it, and you will save yourself a lot of conflict in the long run. Good negotiators make sure that each “offer” they put on the table is clearly defined. When it comes time to close the deal, you should review all figures and terms with the client one last time, making sure you are all in agreement. Not only is this good practice from a legal, conflict-management perspective, but it also establishes a level of trust with the customer. It’s bad business to let the customer walk away thinking you agreed to three service visits, when you only intend to perform two. You don’t want the reputation of being a smoke-and-mirrors small business.
As you can see, negotiation skills can be a huge boost to your company. Stitt Feld Handy Group offers comprehensive negotiation training for small businesses and individuals. Contact us if you’d like to start learning how to employ these negotiation tactics in your small business today.
To learn conflict resolution skills that you can use at work and in your personal life, please visit our Alternative Dispute Resolution Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To improve your negotiation skills and get the results you want while negotiating, please visit our Become a Powerful Negotiator Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To gain skills to handle difficult conversations and difficult people with confidence, please visit our Dealing With Difficult People Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
