SHRM CP and SCP - Interpersonal - Networking/Managing Conflict/Negotiating

BATNA

"best alternative to a negotiated agreement"; This entails knowing what your options are and what the other side may propose during negotiation

Developing a communication plan

A company is about to roll out a new employee initiative that will affect employees at all levels. While the change may initially cause disruption, the long term benefits will be favorable. What should HR focus on first? -Developing a communication plan -Finding a small group of employee champions -Designing required training -Measuring strategic results of the initiative

By understanding the values and negotiation styles of the other country

A global corporation is engaging in negotiation with a partner organization in a country outside of headquarters. How should the HR manager prepare for negotiation discussions to create win-win outcomes? -By understanding the values and negotiation styles of the other country -By identifying ways to reach a compromise quickly -By clarifying the position and adhering to the defined perspective -By defining and acting upon cues that signal a desire to avoid conflict

Schedule a workshop to focus on improving cultural awareness and communication skills.

A manager leads a team that is highly diverse. Two team members frequently argue vigorously in meetings about causes and solutions to problems. The manager thinks these exchanges are fueled by ethnic differences. What should the team leader do? -Reassign one of the problematic team members to another team. The constant conflict is hurting the team. -Respect their cultural differences and treat these disagreements as task conflicts. -Meet with the two members offline and apply conflict resolution techniques. -Schedule a workshop to focus on improving cultural awareness and communication skills.

Avoid

A manager overhears two team members accusing each other of being rude and endangering getting the necessary work done on time. Rather than step into the middle of this, the manager asks each person separately about the status of the activity. What method of conflict resolution is the manager using? -Collaborate -Accommodate -Compromise -Avoid

Negotiation

A recruiter made an offer to a candidate of an annual salary that was below the candidate's minimum desired compensation. After discussing additional benefits (for example, an extra week of paid vacation), both parties came to an agreement. What is this process called? -Arbitration -Intercession -Conflict resolution -Negotiation

brinksmanship

A strategy in which adversaries take actions that increase the risk of accidental war, with the hope that the other will "blink," or lose its nerve, first and make concessions.

Accommodate

A team is working on a project when a conflict arises between two team members. With the project deadline quickly approaching, the team leader decides to placate both team members so work can continue. In this scenario, what conflict resolution tactic is the team leader exhibiting? -Accommodate -Collaborate -Avoid -Compromise

Determine first if the conflict is based on tasks or values or communication styles.

A vice president of HR observes two HR members arguing heatedly about an activity they both need to work on. How should the vice president approach this situation? -Determine first if the conflict is based on tasks or values or communication styles. -Proactively determine how to set ground rules so that no conflicts occur in the first place. -Encourage conflict, because it can stimulate innovation. -​Find out what personality issues are driving this conflict.

Study the context and the person opposite of her at the bargaining table.

After losing an important business contract with an overseas client, a negotiator learns that her counterpart felt she rushed the process. The business negotiator thought she was being efficient with their time. Which approach would allow her to improve her cross-cultural negotiation skills? -Rely on cultural stereotypes to formulate quick reactions to a counterpart's behavior. -Study the context and the person opposite of her at the bargaining table. -Insist on the use of objective criteria during any future negotiation process. -Clarify time management issues at the start of the negotiation process.

The guidance counselor at the local high school

An HR manager for a trucking company is new to her profession, her job, and her community. She wants to build a professional network. Which external stakeholder would offer the most value to the HR manager at this point in her career? -The head of the company's logistics department -The manager at the local bank -The guidance counselor at the local high school -A member of the state house committee on transportation

Avoiding interrupting or talking over the speaker

An HR manager is developing a training on the four principles of active listening, three of which are processing unspoken/nonverbal messages, being aware of one's own nonverbal messages, and focusing on what the other person is saying. Which communication technique demonstrates the missing essential principle of active listening? -Reading the speaker's posture for clues -Avoiding interrupting or talking over the speaker -Showing physical signals of interest in what the speaker is saying -Maintaining eye contact throughout the conversation

Listen to the needs of anyone you come into contact with and offer to help if you can.

An HR manager is new at an organization and wants to start networking. Which is the best way to get this process going? -Informally discuss one need you have with each person you come into contact with. -Make yourself likeable by smiling and praising each person in some way. -Listen to the needs of anyone you come into contact with and offer to help if you can. -Make a list of your needs and ask others to help you cross things off your list.

Be frank with the lowest bidder and ask a lot of questions.

An HR staff person is negotiating fees with a number of meeting venues. The lowest bid is much lower than the average of the rest of the bids. What should the HR staff person do? -Throw out the lowest bid and focus on the higher ones since they are more plausible. -Take the lowest bid. It is the venue's responsibility to run its business. -Start the bidding process again with a different set of venues. -Be frank with the lowest bidder and ask a lot of questions.

Identifying and understanding internal and external stakeholders

An organization has hired a new HR director. Which action should the director take first after meeting and getting to know the HR staff? -Developing programs to submit to management for support -Performing a risk assessment of the HR function -Gaining input about priorities and possible budget items -Identifying and understanding internal and external stakeholders

hard negotiators

Are committed to winning, even at the cost of the relationship.

Work with colleagues in other functions to find suitable contacts for the staff member.

During a performance review meeting, an HR staff member asks her manager for help making contacts with peers in other departments. How should the manager respond? -Tell the staff member that this is an inappropriate goal for this stage of her career. -Work with colleagues in other functions to find suitable contacts for the staff member. -Advise the staff member that relationship management is a skill she must develop on her own. -Tell her to focus on developing a network within the HR department and profession.

Adds the professional knowledge and perspectives of others

How can the professional networking of an HR practitioner be beneficial to her employer? -Assists in finding new employment opportunities -Provides off-the-record communication of business changes -Creates a professional team of business supporters -Adds the professional knowledge and perspectives of others

negotiating process

Preparation, Relationship Building, Information exchange, Persuasion, Concessions and Agreement

Encourage both sides to commit to finding a creative solution.

The CEO has been unsuccessfully negotiating the termination of the vice president (VP) of sales. No one knows why, but this VP has become a disruptive influence on the senior management team. He instigates conflicts and is untrustworthy and untruthful, but the CEO and the board have always given him positive performance reviews and bonuses. He has been unpleasant but has not violated policies. He wants an exorbitant severance package, much larger than any the organization has ever given. The CEO asks the VP of HR for advice. What would you suggest? -Start an investigation into possible causes for termination. -Begin building documentation for a termination based on performance. -Pay the severance and be rid of this bad influence. -Encourage both sides to commit to finding a creative solution.

Spend time building rapport with and getting to know the business owner.

The CEO wants to acquire a small competitor and arranges an introductory meeting with the competitor's business owner. The HR director knows that the CEO is busy and has a habit of being overly direct. What advice should the HR director give to the CEO prior to the meeting? -Put together a generous offer in order to convince the business owner to sign quickly. -Seek out similar businesses and have them compete to be purchased. -Take a brinkmanship tactic to swiftly resolve the negotiations. -Spend time building rapport with and getting to know the business owner.

perspective-taking skills

The ability to assume other people's perspectives and understand their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; role-taking skills.

Meet with functional managers throughout the company to gather ideas.

The employee relations manager has been tasked with hosting a company event so employees can meet coworkers in other parts of the company. How should the HR manager approach this task? -Meet with functional managers throughout the company to gather ideas. -Prepare a cost-benefit analysis and present it to the chief human resources officer. -Send a company-wide communication outlining the event details. -Schedule a meeting with the CEO to discuss event ideas.

collaborate (conflict style)

The leader and those in conflict accept the fact that they disagree and look for a "third way," a new solution to the problem of the conflict. Since both sides contribute to the solution, this may be seen as "win/win" conflict resolution.

compromise (conflict style)

The leader asks those in conflict to bargain—altering positions on different issues until a mutually acceptable solution is defined. The solution relies on concessions. For this reason, it is often referred to as "lose/lose" conflict resolution.

assert (conflict style)

The leader imposes a solution. One side wins and the other loses—hence the term "win/lose" conflict resolution.

accommodate (conflict style)

The leader restores good relations by emphasizing agreement and downplaying disagreement.

avoid (conflict style)

The leader withdraws from the situation or accepts it, leaving the conflict to be resolved by others or remain unresolved.

stakeholder concept

The view that businesses and their managers have responsibilities to a wide range of groups, not just shareholders

Force

Two members of the HR strategy team constantly argue about priorities, and their conflict could now possibly impact the schedule. The vice president of HR tells them both to stop arguing and defines the priorities. What conflict management style did she use? -Avoid -Force -Collaborate -Compromise

Focus on mutual needs.

Two senior VPs are struggling to work together to transform their departments to a functional management model. Which approach should HR take to help facilitate this negotiation? -Encourage the use of deadlines. -Offer quid pro quo arrangements. -Focus on mutual needs. -Avoid win-win solutions.

principled negotiation

Type of contract negotiation based on four premises: 1) separate the people from the problem, 2) focus on common interests, not positions, 3) invent options for mutual gain (win-win), and 4) insist on objective criteria

When the issue will resolve itself without damaging the team processes and relationships

Under which circumstances should ignoring conflict be used as a conflict management strategy? -When failure in mediating and resolving the conflict would weaken the leader's position -When the issue will resolve itself without damaging the team processes and relationships -When the team needs to develop a win-win, mutual-gain resolution to the conflict -When the leader does not want to be associated with a negative outcome

soft negotiators

Value the relationship more than the outcome and will back down on issues in the interest of reaching an agreement

Get outside your comfort zone and talk with non-team members and people who hold both higher and lower positions in the organization.

What advice can you give to a new HR manager who is a bit of an introvert but wants to improve his networking skills? -Determine the types of needs you will encounter in the next few months and seek out people who can fill those needs. -Get outside your comfort zone and talk with non-team members and people who hold both higher and lower positions in the organization. -Spend time socializing with many other persons and avoid discussing areas of your special expertise. -Socialize primarily within your area of expertise by getting contacts from the people you work with.

Get both parties to agree to use an independent assessment of fair market value as the basis for the price.

What should be done in a situation where a negotiation over a vendor's price is stalled because the vendor is insisting that the lowest they will go is $200,000 for the work and the purchaser is holding the line at paying $185,000? -Contact a different bidder and threaten to go with that bidder if the $185,000 offer is not immediately accepted. -Pay the $200,000. -Simply give the vendor one more day to decide and, if the offer is not accepted, restart the RFP process. -Get both parties to agree to use an independent assessment of fair market value as the basis for the price.

Professional development and improved ability to fill business needs

Which are the primary benefits of developing a network that includes customers, stakeholders, other HR leaders, members of local communities and businesses, and government representatives? -Professional development and improved ability to fill business needs -Community awareness and a stronger influence in local regulations -Recruiting strength and a large network of capable vendors -Employment security and peer recognition for HR contributions

Collaborate

Which of the following conflict resolution modes can be seen as win/win conflict resolution? -Accommodate -Assert -Collaborate -Compromise

An HR manager determines internal costs to produce an orientation manual before speaking with a vendor.

Which situation illustrates Fisher and Ury's BATNA approach to negotiating? -An HR manager identifies enough potential qualified vendors to ensure competitive bids. -An HR manager determines internal costs to produce an orientation manual before speaking with a vendor. -Both sides in a negotiation for outsourcing an HR project agree to act in each other's best interests. -An HR manager and a vendor openly discuss their needs and expectations for a project.

negotiation

a process in which two or more parties work together to reach agreement on a matter

networking

a process of developing mutually beneficial contacts through the exchange of information

suppliers

include short- and long-term staffing suppliers, vendors providing or managing benefits, or internal functions like IT that provide necessary support.

external customers

include those receiving or purchasing the organization's products or services and those who seek a return on their investment in the organization

internal customers

individuals and units within the firm that receive services from other individuals or units