Developing the Right Negotiation Skills Set for the Laboratory

Program # 138

PRESENTED BY: MICHELE L. BEST, MASCP, PRESENTED BY: MICHELE L. BEST, MASCP,

MT(ASCP)

Corporate Director for Clinical Laboratories

DIMENSIONS HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY

Everyone Negotiates

� Buying a car

� Allocating household tasks� Allocating household tasks

� Deciding on vacations with spouse

� Establishing salary for a new job

� Vendor contracts

� Finding solutions to problems

Discussion

Think of a time when a negotiation was

successful at work.

What went right? What went right?

Think of a time when it was not successful.

What went wrong?

Negotiation

Negotiation – The process of communicating

back and forth in order to reach a joint

decision decision

Interest-based Negotiation

A method for dealing with conflict and solving

problems by negotiating an agreement based problems by negotiating an agreement based

on the interests of the different parties

Traditional Negotiation

� There are two sides with opposing objectives

� Goal is to win – a form of warfare� Goal is to win – a form of warfare

� Focus is on applying pressure and arguing for

your position

� Short-sighted approach

� Creates winners and losers

Interest-based Negotiation

� Disputants are problem-solvers

� Goal is a resolution that meets both parties � Goal is a resolution that meets both parties

interests/wants/needs

� Interests are the starting point

� Uses fairness principles and objective data

� Looks for mutual benefit solutions

Example

Two men are quarreling in the office. One wants

the window open. The other wants the window

closed.closed.

How might you as their supervisor negotiate a

solution?

Traits of Effective Negotiator

� Possesses good communication skills

� Acts assertively to achieve their objectives� Acts assertively to achieve their objectives

� Works to achieve mutual benefit solutions

� Recognizes own needs and needs of other party

� Minimizes conflict and reduces resistance

� Maintains long-term relationships

Steps in Interest-based Negotiation

� Separate the people from the problem

� Focus on interests not positions� Focus on interests not positions

� Create a variety of options for mutual gain

before deciding on a course

� Insert objectivity into the process

Fisher, Roger, and Ury, William. Getting to Yes. Negotiating

Agreement Without Giving In, 2nd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Co.,

1992.

Negotiation Process

Opening Exploration Movement

Define

Issue

Identify

Interests/

Needs

Create

Options

Agree on

Solution

Opening the Negotiation

� Establish ground rules

� Agree on the problem/issue the parties will negotiatenegotiate

� Refine the understanding of the problem/issue

Understanding the reason you are negotiating is key to an acceptable outcome

Sample Ground Rules

� We will listen carefully to each other rather than debate

We will approach all options with an open � We will approach all options with an open mind

� We will work toward solutions that meet both parties’ interests/needs

� We will not interrupt each other

� We will begin and end meetings on time

Separate the People from the Problem

� Try to separate any past relationship problems

from current issue

� Discuss openly emotions and perceptions

� Attack the issue/problem not each other

� Try to put yourself in other person’s shoes

� Refrain from blame and inference of intentions

Explore Interests

� Needs- those things you cannot do without

� Wants- those things you prefer to have� Wants- those things you prefer to have

� Interests- the reasons behind the wants and needs

� Interests drive the positions stated

Focus on Interests not Positions

� Position- explicit stance on an issue

“You cannot close the ED satellite lab “

� Interest – real desire, need, or concern

“Turnaround time will be slower if we send to

the Main Laboratory”

Interest or Position?

� I will not change my schedule

� I want to spend time with my family

� I cannot do more work

� I need POC testing to improve TAT

� There is no money in the budget

� I need all requests to be budgeted ahead of time

Focus on Interests not Positions

� Dig deep to find the opposing side’s interest

behind their stated position

� Identify any shared interests and conflicting

ones

Remember- each side attempts to serve

its interest in a negotiation!

Interests Center On …..

� Patient care

� Security

� Control

� Ease

� Sense of well-being

� Dollars

Explore….Create and Refine Options

� Be creative – ask “what if” questions

� Be prepared to offer solutions that meet both sides’ interestsinterests

� Explore the possibilities of new approaches

� Discuss each option

� Use objective criteria and data to remove options that are not feasible

� Marry any common interests

� Recognize any areas of disagreement

Agree on a Solution

� Discuss each option

� Use data and objective criteria to judge solutions� Use data and objective criteria to judge solutions

� Meet both sides’ interests where possible

� Remove any non-viable options

� Write down the agreement

� Verify that agreement addresses all of the issues

Benefits of Achieving Win/Win Solutions

� Enables strategic alliances to be built

� Emphasizes partnerships� Emphasizes partnerships

� Builds long-term relationships

� More effective solutions in long-term

Exercise (in Pairs)

Talk about a time when you tried to reach an

agreement with another party and each side held

onto rigid positions. onto rigid positions.

� What were the expressed positions?

� What were the different interests?

� What were the shared and conflicting

interests?

� What was the potential solution?

Role Play

Emergency Department and Pathology

Department NegotiationDepartment Negotiation

Negotiated Agreement

� ED satellite lab will close due to rapid TAT in Core Lab

� Limited test menu requiring less than 30 min TAT � Limited test menu requiring less than 30 min TAT was agreed to by ED physicians

� Respiratory therapist in ED for therapy with perform ABG and ISTAT testing (provided no testing is sent to Main Lab)

� Nursing will perform Pregnancy tests and Urine Dipsticks in Triage

� Laboratory will train and oversee the POC testing

“ In a successful negotiation, everyone

wins. The objective should be

agreement, not victory.”agreement, not victory.”

Case Study

Identify a work-related conflict in which you

have been involved. Think about the nature

and cause of the conflict.

� What did you do? What did they do?

� What conflict style did you use?� What conflict style did you use?

� What was the other person’s method of

managing the conflict?

� What is the cause and level of the conflict?

Questions/Input???

References

� Fisher, Roger, and Ury, William. Getting to Yes.

Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, 2nd Edition. Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, 2 Edition.

Houghton Mifflin Co., 1992.

� Ury, William. Getting Past No: Negotiating in Difficult

Situations. Bantam Books, 1993.

� Lum, Grande, Irma Tyler-Wood, and Anthony Wanis-

St.John. Expand the Pie: How to Create More Value

in Any Negotiation. Castle Pacific Publishing, 2002.