Interpersonal Management, Negotiation and Persuasion.

There are many textbooks, journals and other commentaries on interpersonal management, negotiation and persuasion, each of which comes at these subjects from a particular perspective, and none of which fully cover the topics. Students are therefore encouraged to engage with these topics widely, and not to expect a single source to give all of the answers. Done well, negotiation encompasses many (but not all) of the skills that are part of interpersonal management and persuasion. Therefore to start, it might be useful to get to an understanding of negotiation. In this regard, your first reading arises from the core text in the course guide which is: Chapter 1, The Mind and Heart of the Negotiator, Thompson, L.L. (2015), Harlow: Pearson. This chapter sets out some ideas on what negotiation is, and why negotiation skills are important for leaders and managers in today’s world. It then goes on to highlight the shortcomings that many of us have when negotiating, and the range of factors that affect our judgement and decision-making. Importantly the chapter adds “myth-busters”, which aim to disabuse the reader of certain common misconceptions as to what negotiation is, and what makes a good negotiator. From Chapter 1 you should move to Chapter 2, Preparation: What to do before negotiation. The chapter starts with a reminder that preparation is key, something that is the hidden aspect of much of what people consider to be effective communication and persuasion. The chapter encourages self- assessment of what the negotiator’s aims are, and introduces the important concept of the BATNA (the Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement), a phrase introduced in the influential book Getting to Yes (1981) by Fisher and Ury. To aid understanding of the BATNA the chapter sets out a number of practical ways of using it and the risks involved. Negotiations, like all forms of communication, are never one sided; and the communicator who forgets his audience is setting himself up to fail. To