1 page (500 words)               

You should be selecting a different negotiation experience for each week’s discussion so that you are exploring many different scenarios and applying your growing understanding of strategic negotiation to those scenarios. For example, if you have been using family-based negotiation events in Week 1 and Week 2, try using a professional (e.g., business or organization) negotiation for this week. You should not be using the same negotiation example each week.For the first paragraph of your initial post, describe the negotiation event that you are using for this week’s discussion, including the participants, the key issues, and the outcome.For the second part of your initial post, evaluate any one of the following starter bullet points, using research on course concepts to support your analysis:In the basic communication model, information is sent and received using channels. Apply the basic communication model to your negotiation model. 

• In what ways did each party function as a sender and a receiver?
• What channels were used?
• How did the use of nonverbal communication influence the negotiation?
• What feedback methods were used, and how might have feedback been used to enhance negotiations?

Distractions and distortions (noise) can occur in the negotiation process. 

• What distortions were evident?
• What were the sources of those distortions?
• What other communication problems existed?
• How did those distortions and problems impact the negotiation?What could be done to correct those issues?

Questioning is a powerful communication tool and is also very effective in the negotiation process. Perceiving what questions to ask can often lead to more creative alternatives and to better solutions. For your situation, evaluate the questions that were asked.

• Were they open ended?Were they leading?
• How did the questions impact the negotiation?
• Did the question type (e.g., leading versus open ended) fit the negotiation context? Provide an example of how you might reword a question (e.g., change a leading question to an open-ended question) that occurred in your negotiation to support a more effective negotiation process.

Active listening is an important skill for leaders and negotiators. Being fully attentive to the other party and asking clarifying questions to ensure understanding are the primary skills. Evaluate the listening behaviors in your negotiation scenario. 

• Did either party use active listening?
• Did either party use inattentive listening or manipulative listening?
• What behaviors did you see that support your conclusions?How did the listening skills displayed in the negotiation scenario influence the outcome?

Culture and gender increase the complexity of negotiation events.

• How were cultural (either in a multicultural sense or a global sense) and gender factors evident in your example?
• What do you wish you had known during the negotiation that you now know (e.g., based upon some research into the cultures of the parties present in the negotiation)?
• How would you change your approach in future negotiations to account for cultural and gender concerns?

Power can be used in overt or subtle ways. Power can also be conceptualized as power from, power with, or power over. 

• How was power or leverage utilized in your negotiation?
• What power bases were evident? Assess the ethical nature of how power was used.
• How did power influence the outcome?How might you build greater power in future negotiations?