01st of December : New month, last lecture, last article

After one semester learning how to negotiate ! 

Today was our last lecture, with of course, a negotiation simulation, that was quite fun (when we finally understood the rules). The fact that was very interesting was the lobbying part of the simulation, but we all had different priorities and it wasn't very easy to compromise.
I worked with Vanessa (our dear leader) & Missi (that had the role to venerate our leader) & I (I was supposed to ask questions every time, but I think that you all know that I am very confortable in speaking English..). We had the role to "help" the lower class so to
Because we were 4 teams, we decided (at the end) to create 2 teams of 2 that will support each others. Ok.. Ok.. at the first time we collaborated with the 2 others teams but (shame on us), we felt that it wasn't too clear and that they just 'play' with our team to get our votes.
We decided to promote the "Big Sister" things, with putting cameras everywhere as a Short-Term tools to promote security and to prevent people from crimes and every bad things.
Lots of questions came after this choice and I think that Vanessa replied well, even if the 2 others teams were surprised about our strategy to change our previous plan and were just disrupting her (it was so funny)
But, the vote part wasn't too challenging, because we were 12, in 3 of our votes it was :  6 "Yes" & 6 "No" vote.
I think our team, got a good result at the end , and almost same for both of us.
Counter to others negotiations during this course, this one was about "real life", governance of a state, with some values as equality, peace, access to health and well-being... This game was very interesting because, even if we weren't agree with what we had to claim and defend during this negotiation, we had to find the best strategy.

Because it's the last article of this blog I want to sum up aspects that I think important for international negotiation, and that I learnt during this semester :

- Non verbal communication is very important in negotiation, and it can have bad impact if we are not aware of that. Non verbal communication are very different according to each culture, and you can understand something that mean the opposite. That's why it's very important in international negotiation (and also in negotiation in general, because we are in a globalised World) to get informations about the other part member's culture.
- It doesn't exist a perfect way of negotiating, and even in general if you have a negotiation style you might change it in some situations, that's why I think that the adaptability can be very useful during negotiation.
- In a group negotiation, it's very important to prepare the strategy because all of the member are sources of knowledge, creativity, imagination, and the power of the group is the mixture of every member's ideas.
- Even if you English is not as good as English native, you can find alternatives : prepare some slides, or a short presentation on paper, use the board, add some picture if needed. If you are negotiating in an international environment, don't feel that everybody will speak English very-well. Think more about your strategy !
-The negotiation atmosphere is very important, and small things can be helpful : a silence room, not too cold and not to hot, you can use your smile even if your aren't very happy to be there, some foods and drinks (non-alcoolic of course) can be appreciated...

I also want to give some recommandations to others students that are hesitating to choose this course (if you know someone that is interesting, I am sure that you will recommend it)
Recommandations :
Everyone can imagine, taking this course, that s/he will learn about negotiation skills, it's not a surprised fact (it's the tittle of the course !)
Beyond that you will work with international people that have all their own way of thinking and working, and you will discover different culture.
You will learn about verbal and non verbal communication.
You will also develop some group work skills. You will develop your imagination and creativity.
You will laugh a lot even if the lecture is on Friday morning, I promise !
You will also improve your English, and spoken English communication.
You will work with different support, that make the lecture less boring.
You won't have to learn things by heart, and things like that (boring boring boring !!!)
& one more thing, if you haven't did that in the past : you will negotiate your assessment criteria !!

I wish you all the best for your exams, assignments, and for your graduation also !
 It was a pleasure to work with all of us, and I really want to thank all of you : You all learn me about negotiation, about culture, and also about me and my person.

Happy Independence Day everyone (Eläköön Suomi) 

&

Happy Christmas !

Warmer negotiation about frozen things ! 

This morning was the group negotiation between Iceland and Omnitruck companies!

Before the negotiation we have all prepared some personal ideas and ways of negotiate.
I, personally, thought about pointing the fact that we are a company that is growing up and that we will have to deal with Omnitruck in the future. An other idea, was about our relationship with company in our market, and that we lead this market. Moreover, I thought about marketing aspects, in effect we have to negotiate trucks and painting our colours and logos on it is a very good advertising and can also be a good one for Omnitruck because it's a Dutch company and we do business in UK.

Our Logo ! 

We started with all the Iceland team with some general strategy and ideas for the negotiation. After that, with my team composed of 4, a multicultural team and diversified !
We decided to take account of the bonus points because they might be things that the counter part don't really care, compared to deliver time, delivery, discounts..
One of my team member proposed to ask the other part some specifics points as for example the fuel consumption of the truck, some technical aspects that can "disturb" the other part.

At the end : it wasn't very easy to deal but the result was good for all teams : Win-win !!! . In my case my company got 10 points and the Omnitruck's one 11.

The result of my team :

6 trucks
100 000 eu /truck : we tried to get a discount but it was the most difficult part, and at the end, during the class discussion we understood that Omnitruck company couldn't give discount easier if they want to get points
Delivery time : 45 days, one of the things that we negotiated longly
Painting of trucks in company livery at no extra cost : we pointed the fact that they can also paint their logo and that can offer them a free advertising in UK, as they are a Dutch company
Delivery at 1 port, Ipswich : it wasn't one of our priorities, so at the end we were happy with that.
Bonus points / other aspects :
- 20% discount for future orders
- Future deal will deliver trucks to 6 different ports
-Payments staggered over 6month period

Others deals favourable to our company (that we easily obtained because the Omnitruck company didn't really care) :
-Maintenance of the trucks
-Extension of warranty (+2years)
-Marketing point : they promote our company on their website

I think that, globally we well-dealt with the objectives of this negotiation. And a good climate was created with smile, jokes... :)
Moreover, I fell that everyone improve her/his negotiation skills, after several lectures, practising exercise, simulation !

Negotiation peak ! 

The feedback part is useful because after the negotiation we all have observed some aspects in which others can improve and it's important to tell them, and moreover it's also very useful to highlight what was good done.


Thanks all, it was a nice morning ! See you on the next and last lecture for a fun simulation and surprises as said Mia in her blog.

2 articles on 1 ! 

Sometimes a pirates can be sick... 

03 of November,
Unfortunately I was sick during the workshop presentation.. my group is the Pirates one ! I've heard and read that every workshop went well and were interesting for everyone. I think the lecture was very different because students had the role of learning others some knowledge. For me, it's a good way of assimilating knowledges.

During this work, we decided to analyse a movie in which there is a negotiation, after some watching we chosen Pirates of the Caribbean and a scene of negotiation between Barbossa and Jack. 
I think we well-analysed it, focusing on different aspects of Negotiation : body language, choice of words, tone...
I really hope you enjoyed my group presentation, and i want to thank an other time my 3 colleague for the presentation without Yann & Me.

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All the key and secret to become an efficient negotiator 

10th of November,
I have found very funny and useful the "communication partners around the Word", but as Mia said we have to remind that it's a global view and that doesn't represent all negotiators from each country. We also have to be careful about stereotypes... 
I didn't know that French negotiation style use "power of imagination" and it was surprising to discover it during the lecture. 
One of the most funny with the Finnish style... But I personally think that it doesn't represent well our Finnish colleague in this class, I think Finnish people that I know have a German style or a French style of Negotiation, regarding this analyse (it's my opinion, and maybe I haven't negotiate with enough Finnish to make a conclusion about the Finnish style, dear lectors please let me know what do you think about it!) . 
I take a look to some style at home because they are very different : Singaporean, Korean.
During a project for an other course, I presented Turkey and it business etiquette and because the country is very diversify and it history is full of change, I think it's well represented on the Turkish negotiation style.

I really liked this picture because I think it's a blog picture, and it will make my blog more nice ! (but it's also related to : Expanding the pie concept in Negotiation)

Expanding the pie 
I agree with Bill and it idea about negotiation : "An astute negotiator goes beyond the “I win – you lose” philosophy and tries to make both sides winners. The solution is to be creative, to find out what the other side needs, and to satisfy that need." It summarise on only 3 lines what is negotiation for me. I never do negotiation that include money (or something important) so we easily find a win-win way of negotiate and maybe I never negotiate with professional negotiator. 

I was very helpful to discuss about our strengths and weaknesses because it allows us to point it and to have our colleague view about our negotiation style... That can be helpful for our last and others negotiation on the future. I hope I will use all the keys of an effictive negotiator because now I know all of them and I don't have any excuse ! But I think I have to work on some point like "avoid irrirators" for example. 

               

We also discussed  about all our negotiation during the difference lecture and we point that lecture after lecture all the group members were more confortable with negotiation. 

What about the re-nego of the assessment criteria.. ? I think it wasn't as clear as the first one, but at the end we are all (I hope) happy with the result. Let's see next week when we will use them ! 

I think we are well equipped for the last negation ! Let's see on the next lecture :) (I am on the buyer side)


--


One of the real negotiation in my life : 

(I haven't been face real real negotiation, but I will try to write about one)

What was it about? 

2years ago, I was (only) 19 and I asked my parents for going in the South of France for holidays, by car, with my friends. I got my driving licence just since 1 year but I driven everyday and also for long distance and my mom knows about my driving...

It was for 2 weeks on the South of France, in Montpellier, that is 630km far from my city, Orléans. My friends are 2 girls, and my parents know them from my childhood, they know their parents... 

With whom did it take place? With my parents with whom I live, my Dad work abroad so we don't have the same relationship than the one with my Mum, but we are all very close. They trust me etc...

Were you happy with the outcome? Why? / Why not? 

It was one of the first and big negotiation between me and my parents, usually it was just about money, or parties. 

At the first of the negotiation they didn't agree, but minutes after minutes I proved them that they can trust me, but not only me, my friend too. 

I have presented them what we have plan to do, where we will sleep... I also remind them that I will call them every 2-3 days and also post some pictures on our WhatsApp group conversation. Finally they said yes, and they also asking me if I need money for my first Holiday without them ! 

How could the outcome have been improved…

-For you? I couldn't have a better result than this one, because I get more than excepted (their agreement + money)

-For your counterpart?  If they want to be sure that everything went good and well they maybe had to ask about having news everyday. 

The result of the negotiation : Holidays !!!! 

13th of October : Styles & Group Negotiation..

Now we are all negotiators, but which type are we ?
Firstly when Mia asks I choose "Accommodation" style of negotiation : individuals who enjoy solving the other party's problems and preserving personal relationships. As I said before, in my blog, I am not that kind of people who doesn't think about relationship during a negotiation, I focus on the human aspect overtime and in negotiation too.
Therefore,  I think that there is not a good negotiation style, it will depend on different factors : the other part, the importance of the negotiation, the main of the negotiation, for who the negotiation is (for me, for my boss..) .. A good negotiator will be able to adapt.

But I want to add that for me, the best negotiating style is a mix of collaborating, competing and compromising styles. It looks like : enjoyment to negotiate + creativity + doing what is fair and equal for all parties.. That's why I want to develop my competing and collaborating style, because I think that I also have a compromising style.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK7awi5LPDM
This is a short "styles of negotiation" video for people who prefers videos than images !

After this point that allows us to focus on what king of negotiation we were before the beginning of this course and what we are now, we made a group negotiation.
I was part of the Tampere Team !
The game was very exciting because it a real one, and our solutions might be used by Mia and her colleagues..
My group ideas were :
-changing the meeting place each time, Helsinki or Tampere or also others cities between both
-1 skye meeting/video conference one month, 1 face-to-face meeting (social oriented meeting) the next month


The Final negotiation (with the 3 teams) was very quick and all of us agreed with :
- Changing the meeting place each time between Tampere-Helsinki-Cities near to both cities
-1 video conference meeting one month, 1 meeting (social oriented --> family week-end : 1st day is the business meeting the 2nd day is the family day with activities..) the next month..

We managed all our personal contraints, for example one of my team member is a single mom and has responsibilities..
We also managed the "surprise" :  unfortunately the 3rd branch of the company will close in few weeks, but we are very happy to welcome our future colleagues !

After that it was time to focus on our next assessment : Group assignment !
With 2 colleagues of my team we discussed about our topic.. And I will not write about it : surprise surprise ! I really think that it will be funny !


Good luck for you Exams ! I believe in all of you ! See you the 3rd of November

6th of October : My first call negotiation.. differences between real and virtual negotiations ! 


Before this lecture, with my Bulding team we have researched informations about price per square kilometres in the different countries of our companies.. We also talk about our negotiation strategies, and how to act during the final call.


Because it missed people, I changed to Electricity group, my 2 team workers were very kindly, they introduced me what they done with their group during the week and we talked about our strategy to negotiation the electricity amount part of the project. I represented Zambia (Africa)

Electricy- Zambia : 

Expenses : 22 000€

Expected Project Share : 55 000€

Accepted Budget : 41 240€

I asked for between 55 000 & 60 000€

Africa Group : 

Electricity : 60 000€ = 14,6% 

Water : 122 500€ = 29,6%

Construction : 107 500€ = 26,2%

Road : 122 500€ = 29,6%

Schedule & Time :

1 year and 2 months project 

Road & Water : ASAP

Construction : 3 months after the beginning 

Electricity : 4 months after the beginning + 1 months at the end 

During this negotiation I asked for writing numbers and important informations on Skype, it could be good to have something write and to see if everybody has heard the same things. 

After the negotiation we watched "A Conference Call in Real Life" video. It represents very well the situation during a conference call : bad connections, noises, people talking at the same time.. 
Moreover sometimes people had similar voice/intonation, and it's difficult, without video to know how is how. 
Non-verbal communication like eye contact, are gestures, postures are very important during a negotiation, because it can help to know more about intention of the other part. 

Know more about the feeling of the other part.. 

That's why video conference can be better than conference call, but not as good as a real meeting. But video can make slow down the call because of the connection.. Technological problems, in our 21st century ! 
Today I watched : " A Video conference in real life '' ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMOOG7rWTPg) : similar problems but also images problems ! 

I think, conference call can be done only if people couldn't meet them because of their geographic situation  or schedule, but for me it's not the good option, especially if it's an important negotiation for the company, a big project.. 

During our "What would you do in (or before - to prevent) the following situations?" exercice it was very interesting to see how people from different culture and people who as different negotiating view can act face to different situation in negotiation. 
With my group we found similar counter strategies as Mia's. It's important to focus on the negotiation way of going. If any circumstances, comportements, can make the negotiation in the wrong way it's important to say about it. Because sometimes circumstances without link with the negotiation on its own can change the original strategy, original idea mostly for young negotiator.. I think..

Dear lectors, 
((Sorry I am late.. But as it says in a french quotes "better late than never"))

22th of September was a big day in my negotiation life ! In fact, it was the day of my first negotiation.

Before negotiate, we had to negotiate the criteria assesments. And as I said, about our negotiation of the % final grade, it's something new for me. I grow up with the idea that teacher choose for us, the criteria that has to be evaluated, following the criteria assessments of the school, nothing else. 
Unfortunately, we didn't remember about the criteria assessments made by the Mia's group of next year, but we kept in mind some ideas. I was agree with the fact that follow the "draft criteria for assessing the simulated task" presented by Mia, was no sense, because it was not helping us at all. So it was better to present some big sections, and after that, give 3-4 ideas per sections. 

At the end, we did it ! Good job ! It's not very easy on friday morning, but some of us have more energy and pulled the group upwards ! Thank you ;) ! 
This exercice allows me to know more on which criteria I have to turn my negotiation on. 

Watching my negotiation video allows me to see that I've used eye contact, a thing that i really try to take into account, because I don't fell very confortable with that. But when I was 18, I understood that eye contact are really important during a conversation, and it means that you are in the conversation. 

Before the negotiation we summarise some ideas with my Eurovan Government group, and we end with the idea to focus more on the quantity of oil  and the price :  more than 5M barils for less than 60$ a barrel. 
It helps me focus on this way. 
Moreover, one of the group gives us a key for the negotiation : talking about the efficient of the oil. I don't know things related to oil, but asking the question about the efficiency, can help me during the negotiation, and make me a "specialist" of the subject. 

I negotiated with Jude, he didn't attend the next lecture so he didn't know lot of things about the negotiations. That's why I wanted to make him as confortable as possible. But I think that it was not a big problem for him, because, I feel it was not his first negotiation !!

Our multicultural background make the negotiation interested, I am French with Algerian & Tunisian origins, so I am Europan-North African, and Jude is Nigerian so he's African and moreover he has lots of different experiences in Europe. 
But I think that we both used semi-direct way of negotiate. That means, between direct and indirect, the 5-10 first minutes we were indirects but at the end of the negotiation we talked more directly. 
I feel that Jude was very friendly during the negotiation, we tried to install a good climat for the negotiation, using smile, kindly eye-contact, letting me time to show my idea..

I wanted more than 5M barrel for less than 60* a barrel, and at they end we conclude with : between 5-7M barrel on the next 5-7 months, for 60$ a barrel, with advance paiement (40% in advance), with 22% reduction in airport taxes for his company. (Not too bad.. )

I was happy with my negotiation result, because I think that I can offer Onasti more than the 20% (that we found on the instructions of the "brief for negotiating") because it cost less,for the Eurovan Government, than pay more than 60$ a barrel for example. 

I talked about the efficiency of their oil, of prices of their principal competitor, and about the fact that they use our airlines. But I think that I used these points, with a friendly way of doing business, just talking about these points, without making pression on him, but showing why I made those propositions.. 

I feel that we both perceived this negotiation as a win-win one, none of us more than the other one !
During the negotiation I tried to put into practice all the things that Mia teacher us next weeks, all things that I've read on my colleagues blogs. I used some specifics negotiation words, sentences and I think that it made me more "credible". 

To conclude, after talking with others about their negotiations, I think that we are all on the road to becoming a  NegoCiator ! 

PS : I will try to upload the video of the negotiation in next days.. 
File

15th of September 

Non verbal communication isn't very universal.. 

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We quickly placed ourselves from the smaller to the taller, and I think that if we had the "right" to talk, it might be take more time.. I think that with this challenge ( "do not speak" challenge haha), we all try to do it quickly, helping us. Smaller ones knows that they are (like me !!), taller ones too, so with the use of our eyes+hands we place "medium" people on the good side. 

With lot of people like our group it was quicker to use non verbal communication rather than compare all people saying their tall, waiting for people that hesitate 1 or 2 centimetres, with our without hell.. 

The second game was easy too, because we just had to showing with your finger how many years we spent in TUT : from 1 to 5, using one hand, easy to show and see..

The third one was more complicated, but ideas to find solutions and do it quickly were find (because we are smart and cool people haha, are we not ? )  : using the board, (trying to) draw Finland, Europe, Asia map.. ! Forming 3 separates groups : Fin, others european, asian ! 

The part I really enjoyed during this course where when we tried to prononce a same sentences "You love me " to convey different meanings. 
7 hours later I continue to try do differently prononce first and last "You love me " from the exercice : the first one "you really do ? I hadn't realized that"  the last one : You ? I didn't thing you loves anyone"   

One of the key of a good negotiation is, I think, to use the good intonation at the good time, for the good meaning. Because, we can use the same sentence for 5 or more different meaning.

I find a word with which could be funny to find different way to sait it :  the word "ok", that I used more than 50/day, could means : 

• Oh, know I understand (ooooooook)
• I agree (ok)
• I don't agree but I don't want to tell you that ( o--k)
• Super (Okay !!!!)
• Stop now (ok-OKAY)

( ... )

Ok ?

One of the thing I try to put on my mind is that here, in Finland, silences are ok, it does't mean that something is wrong, awkwardness.. Because, I really hate silent during conversations, small talk, what ever.. It embarrass me, being with people, and no one talk.. 

I learnt that it exists a Finnish word to explain the situation in which people can stay together,  each in their own "bubble", no one speaking, and it doesn't means something negative (do you know the word ?, if yes can you please write it on a comment)

On other thing I try to put on my mind in Finland culture touch are not very welcomed.. And everyday I repeat to me : No No No, don't touch them, respect their space ( & don't make them thought that you are crazy haha) ! But with spannish, african people I do.. haha


Since I am in Finland, I feel closer to Spanish, people who for me were so far to me when I was in France (Viva Espana)


PS : 7 hours trying to make a smily & angry face at the same time .. failure ^^

Maybe looking like that