Informal negotiations between subsets of the negotiating parties, prior to the formal negotiations, often take place behind the scenes and away from the formal negotiation venue.  This “shadow negotiating” is a common occurrence in business and is an important method used by savvy negotiators to gain information and influence the process (Kolb & Williams, 2001).  There are three main strategies that negotiators can use to gain leverage in the shadows: power moves, process moves and appreciative moves.

Power moves can bring reluctant negotiators to the table, by helping them realize that they are better off engaging in a negotiation than not.  Some suggested power moves include: highlighting the advantage to be gained by negotiating (i.e., incentive levers), making clear the negative consequences of not engaging in a negotiation (i.e., pressure levers) and enlisting allies to increase the degree of incentive or pressure levers.

Process moves are designed to influence the process itself by changing the ground rules under which negotiations play out.  Negotiators can influence the process by changing the agenda or engaging in consensus building away from the table.

Appreciative moves are about building trust and encouraging open communication so that the other negotiators feel that they can express their views without fear of conflict.  When differences and interests are surfaced, it is then that creative problem solving can occur.

These strategic moves in the shadow negotiation can greatly impact the outcome of the final negotiated agreement.  In Japan, shadow negotiations are routine, with an agreement almost assured before the formal negotiations begin.  “Nemawashi,” (preparing the ground) as this practice is known, avoids the possibility of an impasse in the formal negotiations and the resulting loss of face.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 15th, 2009 at 5:06 pm and is filed under Negotiations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.