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Negotiation strategies and their strengths and weaknesses
Negotiation strategies and their strengths and weaknesses
Negotiation strategies and their strengths and weaknesses
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Work Power Struggle Case Study
At the young age of 23, Jim Davis has a promising career at Hereford National Bank. In three months, he has been promoted to Business Development Manager, tasked with developing a new strategy for the bank. His first big initiative of selling bank services through branch managers is at risk due to a twenty-five year veteran’s (Patty Mathews) reluctance to participate. How will Jim leverage his position and personal power to ensure success?
Do Not Overlook the Obvious
Before delving into a power struggle with Patty, Jim needs to have a conversation with Patty to understand her position. First, he clearly does not understand why she refuses to participate. Second, she may have actually been sick. Human resource theorists tend to focus on influence that enhances mutuality and collaboration. The implicit hope is that participation, openness, and collaboration make power a nonissue (CP, Chapter 9). By having a conversation with Patty, two potential avenues will emerge for Jim:
1. He can quickly take action to pacify Patty’s concern and move the project forward, thereby ending the issue, or
2. Realize that Patty is resisting him in a way that can only be resolved through his sources of power.
Assuming # 2 occurs, Jim must first assess his sources of power. Although having the conversation did not resolve the issue, it may shed light on Patty’s needs and source of conflict with Jim.
Sources of Power
Jim holds two significant sources of power as defined in Chapter 9, Power, Conflict, and Coalition:
1. Control of Rewards: Jim has the ability to provide an expense account to Patty, the only concern of hers discussed in the case.
2. Alliances and Networks: Jim is good friends with Patty’s manager, Allen. He also has established a great relationship with Eric Johnson, a bank executive.
Jim needs to focus on the three types of influence skills as defined in Chapter 5, “Gaining and Using Sustainable, Ethical Power and Influence”: (1) Being able to read other people and adapt your message in ways that will help you be understood and supported, (2) using the six universal forms of influences; and (3) developing political savvy.
Jim has avoided politics since starting with Hereford, so political savvy (3) is not necessary available to him. It is something he can begin to develop through this situation. Having a conversation with Patty will enable him to accomplish (1) and from this position begin to focus on his forms of influence (2) to meet his desired goal of full participation of all the branch managers.
This book is important to business students because it shows that even the most seasoned executive runs into unexpected challenges and can find themselves in uncharted territory. Jim Barton’s experiences and lessons can be lessons for anyone. Any employee, whether they are support staff or a top executive, should always maintain an open mind and be ready to learn from a situation or the people around them at any time.
For over fifteen years at Weston University, Dr. Powers operated from a human resource view, providing the faculty with security and stable working conditions (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 16). As a result, the leader's authority is derived from making sure that the faculty's individual needs are the highest priority, rendering a servant leader as a pushover (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 56). The contrast of leadership styles is primary problem in this case. Dr. Power's longtime human resource frame to Dr. Ball's new structural frame following a set of rules governing performance that utilizes a hierarchy of offices (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 46).
In order to mold a group of people into a higher performing team, Kathryn had a challenging task ahead of her. Her plan to hold an offsite retreat with the leadership team was a fantastic idea. This was her first real action as the leader of DecisionTech, and it would soon prove to have a positive impact on the future of the company and the leadership team. Kathryn held firm to the agenda she designed for the retreat despite the team trying to give her suggestions on what they thought the agenda should be. When Martin sent Kathryn an email letting her know he and JR would be missing part of the retreat for a business
They have a friendly conversation by candlelight. Jim reveals that he was never engaged, and that his old girlfriend was the one who put the announcement in the yearbook. They no longer see each other. Laura speaks admirably of Jim's voice, and he autographs the program of the show he was in, The Pirates of Penzance‹she was too shy to bring the program to him back in high school, but she has kept it all these years. Jim tries to give Laura advice about raising the level of her self-esteem, and talks about his plans to get involved with the nascent television industry. He speaks of the numerous courses he is taking, and his interest in various, programmatic methods for self-improvement. He calls money and power the cycle on which democracy is built.
Leadership & Direction. (1997, May 11). Retrieved April 6, 2011, from Big Dog & Little Dog's
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