Power - how to recognise it and how to use it
Featured in the Negotiation Skills training manual
By Dave Clarke & David Simmonds& Ian Steers
Category: Communication Skills
Credit price: 3 download credits (Single user)
All negotiations revolve around power. This is because all negotiations involve different parties who each have different objectives and come from different starting positions. Power issues can be particularly intricate in internal negotiations between colleagues within the same organisation. Although ostensibly working towards the same aims of the total organisation, colleagues often come from different teams, sections or departments. This means that, in addition to organisational aims, they can also bring into the negotiations priorities which are determined by their own localised needs, desires and strengths. In order to be an effective and successful negotiator, it is absolutely essential to understand power and where it comes from. This training activity gives the participants an opportunity to examine the workings of power in a negotiation and to identify means of maximising their own power and minimising the powers against them.
The participants work in buzz groups to define the term ‘power’. They then share their ideas with the other groups. Next, they identify key sources of power and discuss the concepts of positional power and personal power. The trainer then runs a quick power-struggle exercise to test and broaden the participants’ recognition of the sources of power and how it can be used. The participants then work in small groups to identify possible tactics to use in negotiations to maximise their own bargaining power and minimise the bargaining power of others. They examine the sort of considerations they should make in choosing how to use their own power and how to deal with the power of others. Finally, the participants each think about an actual negotiation and consider how they might make effective use of the power balance it involves.
Who is it for: This training resource is intended for use by trainers to introduce participants to the concept of power in negotiations, and to help them understand how to maximise their own levels of power and offset or limit the power of others.
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 4 |
| Max Group Size: | 20 |
| Typical Duration: | 01:30:00 |
| No of Pages: | 14 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Purpose: This training resource is intended for use by trainers on its own as an introduction to the concept and applications of power, or as a follow-up to any training activity in which different levels of negotiating power have been evident.
Download the training activity, Power - how to recognise it and how to use it as featured in the Fenman training manual; Negotiation Skills