A Negotiation Skills session was run by Enterprise
Rent-A-Car and presented by the regional area manager (a graduate from
Sheffield Hallam University) and the assistant regional area manager. The
initial question ‘when are negotiation skills applicable?’ was answered amusingly
by one student who suggested that they were vital in borrowing flatmates milk
and bread; a situation relevant to most student households. While conceding that this was correct, the presenters
focused the rest of the session on the application process rather than on semi-skimmed
milk and Hovis! The presentation identified the key aspects of a successful
negotiation as:
- knowing yourself and the person you are
negotiating with
- planning the negotiation
- knowing how to negotiate
- coming to an agreement
The session started with an activity which helped us to ‘know’
ourselves by asking us to identify our greatest strengths and weaknesses. ‘Knowing’ the person you were negotiating
with can be achieved through a thorough review of the job description and
company. The presentation stressed that
communication skills, such as clear pronunciation and eye contact, are vital to
achieving a successful negotiation. It
also defined a successful negotiation as ensuring that both parties feel
satisfied with the result, rather than one party feeling as though they have
won.
A mock assessment centre negotiation test was the main
activity of the session. In groups we had to review a budget and make spending
decisions within a time constraint of 20 minutes. With each member of the group
having to propose a different idea, negotiation was vital. The activity was very useful as it highlighted
that within an assessment centre environment and in group projects, although
there is not necessarily a right decision, a non-decision is definitely a wrong
one.
Overall I learnt that negotiation skills are important in
the application process, in the workplace, and also in negotiating your path to
a job!
Rennie (Student Blogger)
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