17.09.2018 : First class, First negotiations.

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During today's class, we discovered the bases of negotiation, a cornerstone in the business world. So we did an exercise. We were in pairs and each pair found 2$ on the floor. Each group had different guidelines upon which everyone had to negotiate, in order to obtain what she (or he) wanted of the 2$. We played the game three times.

First round: according to the guideline I received, I was supposed to get 1.6$ of the 2$ found, and my partner Carole was supposed to get 1.5$. The negotiations were very hard because we both knew the skate of this game. So none of us wanted to give up and finally, we split the money equally, 1$ for each. None of us won at the expense of the other, we reached a win-win situation where each of us was happy even if she (or he) didn't obtain what she (or he) initially wanted, and the reason is that if you both have the same gain, you feel like you won because you didn't let your adversary get what she (or he) wanted.

Second round: according to the guideline I received, I was supposed to get the most I could get of the 2$, and I shouldn't trust my adversary that was so desperate to get the most of the 2$. This round was harder because my classmate told me lies, and I wasn't prepared to reply, so I felt very uncomfortable and I felt like I wasn't prepared enough to face that situation. However, I was warned that my adversary would be able to lie to obtain everything she wanted, so the negotiations were long until we reached a win-win situation. Thanks to this round, I've learned that the negotiation would have been easier if I would have prepared myself. So, to negotiate as well as possible, there are three keys: trust, negotiation and a backup plan. This round taught me that before any negotiation, it is essential to know things about the person you are about to deal with.

Third round: this time, the guideline was similar to the first round guideline. My adversary was a strong negotiator and a very good liar. She had various excuses to get the most of the 2$, and I didn't have as much imagination to tell lies. So I decided to play on emotions. Indeed, we have learned that feelings are really important in negotiation. My adversary tried to make me dwell on her troubles, but I reply by telling her that sharing would be better because we would be both happy. After many negotiations she accepted, and once again we reached a win-win situation.

Finally, I can say that I learned many things about negotiation thanks to this first class. Firstly, now I know that in negotiations, it is essential to be prepared and ready to face any situation. Then I learned that sometimes, it's better to be accommodating than winning. Indeed, a win-lose situation isn't good as a win-win situation for a long-term business.

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