“If you know the enemy and you know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” – Sun Tzu.
Although Sun Tzu was talking about ancient military action, his words offer guidance to what I believe to be the most under-discussed aspect of negotiations: values. Taking a values-based approach to negotiations can be transformative and can be the most efficient way of developing a strategy and useful tactics to support success.
Often negotiators are not part of the union and are merely there as a representative bringing in their skills acquired from other rounds of negotiations. This separation from the group that a negotiator has is often beneficial. It allows the negotiator some emotional detachment from the issues at hand and this can give perspective to the situation, allowing the negotiator to suggest alternative paths that the union might not otherwise identify.
This outside perspective, however, can be detrimental to negotiations where there is a misalignment or misunderstanding of values between the negotiator and the party that they represent. Too often, negotiators fall into the trap of focusing solely on tactical maneuvers, overlooking the profound impact that starting with shared values can have on the negotiation process.
Before a negotiator and their team can develop their strategy and tactics, the common values of the team and the union must be explored and understood. Here, we will briefly delve into the crucial role of values in labour negotiations and how they lay the groundwork for crafting effective strategies and employing tactical proficiency.
Starting with Values: The Bedrock of Negotiations
At the heart of every negotiation lies a set of values that define the interests and principles of each party involved. These values are akin to a moral compass, guiding negotiators' decision-making process and shaping their perspectives on the issues at hand. Values act as guideposts in developing strategy, and it is important for negotiating teams to develop an understanding of the underlying values for any given round of negotiations.
Like the union, Employers will enter negotiations with their own set of guiding values. Some of those may be at odds with union values while others may align well. It is important to not only define your party’s own set of values but then to gain a better understanding of the other party’s set of guiding values. This understanding will help to find solutions more quickly and easily where shared values are identified and may identify early on where points of friction will develop.
For instance, consider a labour negotiation between a company and its employees. The employees may value fair compensation, work-life balance, and job security, while the company may prioritize cost-efficiency, productivity, and long-term sustainability. In developing a better understanding of each party’s principles, bridges can be built to address solutions. Based on the case above, there is a potential for a nexus between work-life balance for the union and productivity for the employer.
To embark on this values-driven path, negotiators must dedicate time to introspection and reflection on their core beliefs. What principles are non-negotiable for them? How can they align these values with their long-term goals and aspirations? Answering these fundamental questions sets the stage for a more meaningful and purposeful negotiation process.
For example, a labour union representing healthcare workers may place a high value on patient safety and the welfare of their members. Recognizing this, the hospital management team can align their values by emphasizing a commitment to providing the best possible patient care and ensuring the well-being of their staff.
Furthermore, recognizing and appreciating shared values can lead to the forging of unexpected alliances and promote a stronger sense of cooperation. When negotiators have a clear understanding of each other's values, they can collaboratively explore solutions that respect these principles while advancing their respective interests.
In exploring and identifying these values, it is important to write them down and get agreement on those as being the core principles that guide your negotiations.
While these values help negotiators to identify common ground, they also help to identify where parties have positions that are at odds with each other. Identification of these positions can help each side prepare for addressing those positions further down the road. Developing a better understanding of those positions and developing a course of action to handle them falls to the strategic plan and the tactical elements that are employed.
Strategies: Charting the Course to Success
Once a strong foundation of shared values is established within your party, the next pivotal step is to devise effective strategies. Strategies serve as the guiding roadmap, outlining the path negotiators will navigate to bridge the gap between differing interests.
For instance, in the context of a labour negotiation between teachers and a school district where values align, a collaborative strategy could involve forming joint committees to address issues related to classroom resources, curriculum development, and teacher professional development. By working together, both parties can devise solutions that reflect their shared values of providing quality education and ensuring the well-being of students and educators.
On the other hand, where values are misaligned, say for example the rates of pay that should be settled on, a strategy to achieve your party’s goals must be developed. This may include an understanding that labour action may need to be taken in the future including tactics like strikes or other political action. These tactics form part of the overall strategic plan and proper preparations must be made before any such tactics are employed.
For example, in the case where a public sector union’s position is that their members deserve at least a cost-of-living increase in wages, they must strategically plan well in advance of taking any job action by developing the political will through public support for such a position. This involves engagement with the public and with sympathetic politicians well in advance of any job action.
Although the strategic plan for negotiations may list possible tactics, the overall strategy should draw on the values identified in the planning for negotiations and should be reflexive of developments during every part of negotiations. If the strategy is the guiding roadmap, tactics are the important elements that shape how to successfully executive the strategy.
Tactics: The Building Blocks of Success
With values and strategic plans identified and in place, negotiators can now delve into the realm of tactics—the specific actions and maneuvers used to achieve their goals. However, it is crucial to emphasize that tactics alone cannot guarantee success if they are not firmly grounded in the values of the negotiation process and in the strategic plan that was developed.
There are numerous tactics that can be employed by either party to a negotiation and those are a topic for another post. However, there are specific tactics that parties use commonly such as member engagement and media, to strikes and other labour actions. Employers also have a variety of tactics that they can employ to achieve their goals. It is important for each party to not only develop their own arsenal of tactics but also to understand and proactively deal with the other party's potential for using their tactics.
The strategy developed should incorporate possible tactics and should consider in what situations and when tactics should be used. The strategic plan should also consider an escalation of tactics from engagement tactics with members and ultimately to job action.
If each tactic is not explored and developed as part of a strategic plan, it may cause unconsidered and negative interactions with other tactics. This is why identifying tactics and incorporating them specifically into a strategic plan early on can enhance the effectiveness of the delivery of each tactic and the overall strategy.
Tactics should never be considered without first a deep understanding of the values of your organization and the development of a strategic plan and they should complement and support the advancement of those values.
Conclusion
In the intricate landscape of labour negotiations, the power of values cannot be underestimated. While tactical acumen is undoubtedly essential, it must be guided by the bedrock of shared principles and purposeful strategies. By beginning with an authentic understanding of shared values, crafting comprehensive and flexible strategies, and employing effective tactics, negotiators can transform the negotiations into a meaningful place to find creative solutions to problems where possible while upholding the positions that are important to each party.
As we move forward, let us remember the significance of values in labour negotiations. By taking the time to comprehend each other's core beliefs, we will build stronger strategies and employ tactics that lead to genuine success at the bargaining table.
Key Takeaways:
1. Explore and define values early on in the process and write them down. Reflect upon them throughout negotiations.
2. Develop a strategic plan that is aligned with your values. A strategic plan based on values will be stronger than one that isn’t.
3. List all possible tactics in your strategic plan and when and how to use them. Plan on how to deploy tactics depending on how negotiations progress.