What is the Right Communication Medium for Each Negotiator?
- Larry Ray
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Negotiators need to choose the right communication medium for each unique negotiation.
Oxford Dictionary: medium is an agency or means of doing something.
Example:"Using the latest technology as a medium for job creation."
Similar: means of communication, means/mode of expression, means, method,way, approach, instrumentality.
The intervening substance through which impressions are conveyed to the senses or a force acts on objects at a distance.
Example: "radio communication needs no physical medium between the two stations"
An effective negotiator needs to give due consideration of the communication medium through which the parties operate. Will it be:
-Face-to-face,
-Electronically,
-Telephonically, or
-Unlikely, mail or postal?
Each medium has advantages, disadvantages, and interesting characteristics.
The key is an objective examination of the interaction of the parties. Through which medium do the parties make the most progress towards their goals?
Example: Sluggers Come Home, baseball case example negotiation, Stanford University. This video is often used for teaching negotiation in law schools, specifically, The George Washington University School of Law (Washington, D.C.) and Capital University School of Law (Columbus, Ohio).
Summary of Scenes:
Ted and Billy Curry, along with Manager Carla, need to rent the renovated baseball stadium. Barbara owns a minor league baseball team called the Bears. They would like to move to a better stadium so negotiations begin with the Curry brothers. Four negotiation scenes:
Scene 1: Telephonic meeting between Ted and Barbara.
Viewers usually view this scene as unsuccessful. Ted is asking a lot of questions and Barbara is not answering. (In actuality in this phone meeting, if Ted’s goal had been to persuade Barbara to view the baseball stadium, that goal was accomplished.)
Scene 2: Fact-to-face meeting between Ted and Barbara at the stadium.
Viewers see this as a successful encounter. Barbara is impressed with the stadium and ups her lease price offer.
Scene 3: Telephonic communication between Ted and Barbara.
This scene consists of a series of telephone calls between Ted and Barbara leading to a frustrating impasse despite creative options being proposed. Perplexed by Barbara’s intransigence, Ted/Billy/Carla suggest a F2F meeting at the stadium including baseball advocate the mayor.
Scene 4: F2F meeting at the stadium with Ted, Billy, Barbara, Al Griggs (baseball team manager) and the mayor.
This meeting takes place around a round table (nonverbally, symbolizing no sides), rather than a square table. They talk and set the stage for an agreement involving a retired Major League Player returning to his hometown to guide the team.
Neither the parties nor the moderator seem to discern that seemingly the F2F communication medium was a key to the agreement. Ted and Barbara made negotiation progress F2F, but not telephonically. If they had realized this, they would have agreed to only negotiate F2F.
Putting themselves in the other negotiator’s shoes.
One of the keys to choosing the communication medium is for the effective negotiator to put themselves in the shoes of the other negotiators. Two steps are necessary:
-What is their preferred medium?
-When the negotiators use the preferred medium, do they make progress?
Usually, average negotiators know their preferred communication medium and they use that one because it makes them comfortable.
An effective negotiator does the above two-step approach.
Face-to-face communication medium for negotiations.
Most people assume that F2F is the best type of communication. There are many advantages:
Each party can view the nonverbal communication (body language) of the other. Possibly 55% of communication is conveyed via nonverbal communication. (38%=voice tone and 7%, words/verbal)
Each party can connect emotionally. Personalities and emotions are a part of every negotiation meeting and these can be more easily discerned and managed.
Research has shown it is more difficult for parties to say “No” during F2F communications.
Retired DC national executive Kerry Knight: This blog entry will fit the current times since communicating by telephone and digitally blossomed during COVID…I prefer face to face communications…I also think negotiations/mediations should be done in-person…because I need to get a feel for who is participating and I need to observe how people are reacting to comments, how they are sitting, etc.
TV Series: Murder in a Small Town: Star Chief of Police Karl Alberg prefers F2F problem solving communication.
From AI:
Chief Karl Alberg's special skills in Murder in a Small Town include his ability to notice small details, a knack for reading people and detecting lies, and his unique brand of empathetic and humane investigation, which allows him to get to the truth without resorting to a cliché "tough guy" act. He brings world-class detective skills honed in a big city to a seemingly idyllic town that hides dark secrets.
Alberg's special skills
Keen observation: Alberg is highly skilled at noticing small details that others miss, which helps him piece together the truth.
Reading people: He has a special talent for telling when someone is lying and can effectively read their motivations.
Empathetic approach: Unlike a typical detective, Alberg uses kindness and humanity to get information, often putting suspects at ease and getting the truth from them by being more open and understanding.
Disadvantages: There are many.
Inconvenient and often inaccessible especially when parties are not in the same location.
F2F may set the stage for stereotyping and generalizing if the one party looks or behave differently.
Parties may feel on the spot and may agree to issues without fully thinking it through.
More likelihood for scheduling conflicts.
Some folks are more anxious with F2F meetings than electronic ones.
Electronic communication medium for negotiations.
Video (Conferencing, Zoom, etc)
There are advantages:
Convenience
Accessibility
Great for negotiation partners not in the same location.
Usually can view facial expressions. In some situations, facial expressions comprise 55% of communication. The face consists of 43 muscles often called mimetic. Orbicularis oris may be the most familiar.
Cost effective
Usually documented
Often more balanced participation
Disadvantages: Technical issues. More distractions.
Email/Text.
Advantages:
Convenience
Accessibility
Easy to say “No.”
Able to include attachments.
Although there is no nonverbal communication, there is often “a tone” of communication.
Disadvantage: Miss out on nonverbal communication. More distractions.
Telephonic Negotiation/Communication.
Ohio attorney, mediator, professor Terry Wheeler offers this: I think the one advantage that telephone communications have over electronic communications is that the negotiators can assess verbal communications for clues as to underlying interests or commitment to a specific term or position. Telephone communications also allow a speaker to deliver a message with a tone that may not be able to be conveyed through electronic communications. For example, it is probably easier to implement the wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing tactic via telephone communications.
Retired executive professional from DC Jim Crawford notes the progress of communication from the mail to telephone to electronical communication: Telephonic communication allows each party at distant points to hear the inflections and perhaps nuances of the other. The telephone overcame the problem of the extended time required for negotiation by mail. The evolution into visual electronic communication approaches the atmosphere of face-to-face communication - validated by the fact that it is allowed in courtrooms. The major advantages of the telephone are that it is immediate and overcomes the issue of distance. But it only allows for voice communication and does not allow the parties to evaluate the unspoken body language of the negotiating partner.
Retired Ohio Governmental Professional Jill Goldhart, thinking about advantages of phone negotiation: The first thought that comes to my mind is that one or more of the individuals is restricted in mobility either physically or mentally. Perhaps the two parties are separated by distance that cannot easily be tackled. It may be the only way to communicate directly, especially if one or more are not skilled at internet communication. This would permit the parties to hear each other's intonation and intensity when they express their concerns/feelings on issues. While it may be helpful to many to see "body language", for others, it may be more helpful not to observe such, particularly if it's negative. A person's negative posture/expressions can create an unhealthy environment for the negotiation, especially in the beginning, causing the other party to be more hesitant to fully participate. If the person's tone of speaking is not negative, not seeing their physical reactions may actually foster a more open discussion.
There are also some advantages to leaving voicemails.
Conclusion
Parties need to think critically of what medium they use for a negotiation or communication or meeting. They need to discern the preference of each involved party. Some would advise to go with that style so the process is honoring their preference and speaking their language. More importantly, parties need to note via which medium the parties are making the most progress towards agreement or settlement. If that happens to be F2F then that is the appropriate medium for these parties and for this subject matter. Sometimes, it might be a combination. Parties reach a tentative agreement per F2F and work out the details later electronically or telephonically. Yes, in many negotiations, all media is used.
Resources:
The Conflict Resolution Training Program, Leader’s Manual
ISBN: 0-7879-6077-2 Prudence Bowman Kestner and Larry Ray
Mediation Manual, Prudence Bowman Kestner and Larry Ray, self-published.
School Conflict Management Resource Guide, Prue Kestner and Larry Ray, self-published.
SLUGGERS COME HOME video, STANFORD UNIVERSITY.
Sluggers
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