ALS DL Test 2 PDF 2 Part b
Reservation Point
Your 'bottom line' in negotiation. It is the point you will absolutely not got over...your limit.
The Who, the Stakes, and the Situation
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Material
Material resources are the physical goods that are required by our personnel to complete their assigned duties.
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Leader Powers
Position: Legitamate, Connection, Coercive, Reward Personal: Referent, Expert, Information
Though most organizations have their own format, ACRs should include as a minimum:
(1) List of the UMD attributes that identify the affected position (2) List of the UMD attributes that represent the desired change (typically bolded) (3) Justification for each proposed change (what, why, and when)
March: By the end of March, units (including each section) should have either spent or obligated 50% of their budget. Sections that have not achieved this milestone must justify why and, if they cannot justify why, are in danger of losing unused funds during the second BER process. In addition, sections will be prompted by the RA to begin compiling unfunded requests in preparation for the second BER.
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When justifying an unfunded follow these three simple rules:
1. Narrative justification of the unit/mission needs is a very important factor because there are so many important requirements competing for limited additional funds. The best BER submissions not only describe what is needed, but provide a picture of the mission, explain the item in detail, and most importantly, the impact to the mission if the requirement is not funded. 2. Details are provided and clearly stated: who/what/how many/when funding is needed. 3. Quantitative details are vital: Just like an EPR, numbers sell the story.
Specifically, military and civilian employees are prohibited from: 1. Making or authorizing expenditure from, or creating or authorizing an obligation under, any appropriation or fund in excess of the amount available in the appropriation or fund unless authorized by law. 31 U.S.C.1341(a) (1) (A). In other words, do not obligate your unit to spend more than it has been authorized and do not spend money on unauthorized items. Finally, purchase items, contracts, resources, supplies, and so forth from the wrong pot of money. For example, using O&M money to purchase unit coins and T-shirts to give to family members during the annual picnic (see more examples below).
2. Involving the government in any obligation to pay money before funds have been appropriated for that purpose, unless otherwise allowed by law. 31 U.S.C. § 1341(a) (1) (B). Simply put, do not spend, or obligate funds in anticipation of receiving them. 3. Accepting voluntary services for the United States, or employing personal services not authorized by law, except in cases of emergency involving the safety of human life or the protection of property. 31 U.S.C. § 1342. 4. Making obligations or expenditures in excess of an apportionment or reapportionment, or in excess of the amount permitted by agency regulations. 31 U.S.C. § 1517(a).
Obligation:
A legal binding agreement between the government and another party. The Air Force has entered a contractual obligation; however, no goods or services have yet been received.
AFSO21
AFSO21 principles and tools enable Airmen to integrate continuous improvement into their daily operations. The key to success is a culture where all AF employees think about process improvements and feel empowered to communicate with their chain of command or change agent. Think of how often you see inefficiencies and wasteful practices around you at home, work, and in society. LEAN targets the eight types of waste defined below. You can easily remember the eight types of waste by using the acronym DOWNTIME. If you can identify waste then it will be easier for you to see when larger problems exist in your organization.
Connection
Here, it's not what you know but who you know. Connection power refers to the relationships (or connections) you have with others who may possess more position and personal power than you and/or your opposite. These connections are extremely beneficial especially if you are required to accomplish a significant task requiring many people
September: This is probably the most frantic month of the budget cycle. The entire wing is attempting to use all unspent or unobligated funds. Wings who fail in this endeavor risk losing any unspent/unobligated portion of their budget the next FY. Units, and especially sections, should have spent and/or obligated 100% of their budget by 30 Sep.
According to AFI 65-601, Financial Management, it is an Air Force directive to report excess funds to the wing. Doing so helps support other mission-essential requirements and ensures funding is used appropriately. It may be tempting for you to fail to report overages; however, you should remind yourself of the core value Integrity First and do what is right.
Situation
How critical is the situation? In a worst-case scenario like an emergency, you may only have a few seconds to act or make a decision. For this, insisting may be the most appropriate given there is no time for cooperating or complying. However, if time is not an issue and all parties are willing, cooperation may be the best negotiation style
Interest
An interest is what you need. It is the underlying reason behind your position.
In 2014 The Air Force suspended the guidance for the IDEA program and provided implementation guidance and procedures for the new idea/suggestion program, renamed Airman Powered by Innovation Program. The Airman Powered by Innovation Program consolidated four Air Force wide programs (Innovative Development Through Employee Awareness (IDEA), Best Practices (BP), Productivity Enhancing Capital Investment (PECI) and Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century
Airmen who have ideas for the Airman Powered by Innovation Program (API) should work with their leadership and local AFSO21 experts to submit their ideas. AFSO21 experts at your base will work with you to make sure your ideas are properly reviewed, analyzed and submitted properly to the API idea cell. Let's take a look at some of the key concepts that AFSO21 experts rely on. Every NCO can use these same tools to identify areas for improvement, efficiency and innovation in their units.
Anti-Deficiency Act Violations:
An act that results in exceeding limitations [misuse] of funds authorized and appropriated by Congress in support of contract obligations.
Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA)
An alternative to negotiation that you can execute independent of your 'opposite'. It is a solution you are prepared to execute even if you don't get what you want in the negotiation. To formulate a practical BATNA, you must have both the capability (resources) and the will to execute this alternative on your own without any assistance.
Developing Today's Resource Stewards
As members of management, we support the efforts of our leadership to acquire the necessary personnel, financial, material, warfare, and information & technology training and equipment our people need. As enlisted leaders, NCOs are the moral fiber that ensures the effective and efficient use of all resources to continuously meet mission requirements
Power
As mentioned in the Leader Influence chapter, we possess an assortment of leadership powers that enable us to accomplish various actions, to include negotiating. These powers are referred to as personal and position powers.
When negotiating, you must assess which of these powers you have, which ones are available to the opposite, and how your powers are perceived by the opposite. What if you walk into a meeting thinking you have referent power only to find out that your opposite believes a nasty rumor that damages your reputation. This could jeopardize your negotiating efforts.
As the TIPO Model depicts (Figure 6), trust impacts the amount of information you can acquire and the power you can exercise during negotiations. With high levels of trust, powers may be actively shared between you and the opposite. For example, you may have expert power on a topic but are fully willing to listen to the opposite's perspectives on how to solve the problem because they have additional information you need.
Fourth Quarter July: At this point, units should have spent or obligated all but 25% of their budget. Units who have not achieved this milestone typically scramble at this point to spend the money.
August: End-of-year closeout begins on 1 August and runs through 30 September. As stated earlier, it is on 1 August when the FWG takes control of all unspent and unobligated funds across the wing. You have probably heard the term "fallout". This refers to unobligated and unspent funds discovered between mid-Aug and 30 Sep. Fallout money is typically used to purchase items that may or may not be in direct support of the mission and are usually nice to have (e.g. furniture, carpet, etc). This is when the unit RA begins asking sections for inputs for requesting fallout money.
b. Funded Requirement:
Authorized and funded positions needed to accomplish the assigned workload. Funded manpower positions are allocated by category (officer, enlisted, and civilian). Given the fact that requirements typically exceed available funding, commanders first prioritize requirements and then allocate funding to the highest priority.
c. Unfunded Requirement:
Authorized, but unfunded positions needed to accomplish the assigned workload.
Program Objective Memorandum (POM
Biennial memorandum submitted to the Secretary of Defense from each Military Department and Defense agency. It proposes total program requirements for the next six years. It includes rationale for planned changes from the approved Future Years Defense Program baseline within the Fiscal Guidance issued by the Secretary of Defense.
Resource Advisors (RA:
Budget representative for an organization. The resource advisor participates actively in resource management, including the planning, programming, budgeting, acquiring, consuming, storing, and disposing of resources. And, is directly responsible to the RCM.
Continuing Resolution Authority (CRA):
Fiscal law authority that allows the government to continue operations at a minimum level for a specific amount of time, usually a few days to a few weeks. This is important for NCOs to know because it usually delays the initial distribution of funds. During CRA, units typically receive funding authority for approximately 80% of the previous year's budget amount. A CRA is needed to prevent agencies from shutting down because without it, agencies have no authority to incur fiscal obligations.
This makes you wonder how many events have you attended where the units used O&M funds to purchase refreshments. Below are other examples where NCOs are susceptible to violating the Anti-Deficiency Act.
Business Cards: Professionally-made cards are typically limited to recruiters and investigators; others may buy card stock and use office printing equipment to make cards. Coins: Buying unit designated coins as mementos to give to family members of deployed personnel would not be proper. Generally, O&M funds may be used for purchases that support an award for excellence in accomplishment or competition. T-Shirts: The purchase of T-shirts for sports competitions is authorized as long as such competitions are of a continuing nature.55 However, buying shirts for all unit personnel in attendance is not authorized. Purchases are limited to shirts presented to winners in support of unit sporting events. Out-of-Cycle Use: Using unfunded money to purchase items, equipment, supplies, services, and contracts that will be used or begin in the following FY is prohibited.
UMD include:
Changes Air Force Specialty Codes (AFSC Adjustment pay grade or skill levels Change Security clearance (Special Access Requirement or "SAR" Personnel Reliability Program (PRP codes
Personnel
Considered our "most valuable resource," the appropriate amount (and mix) of skilled and qualified individuals provides the workforce necessary for organizations to meet ongoing and future mission requirements. Training and development plans, institutional programs and processes, along with support organizations are integrated to assist in effectively managing personnel.
November: On or about 1 November, cost centers begin working their first BER. It is typically the unit's Resource Advisor (RA) who does this. He/she begins collecting information from each section on their unfunded needs. As an NCO, it's important that you be prepared to provide funding request inputs so they can be considered during the BER process. Between mid-Nov and the end of Dec, the RA finalizes the unit's BER inputs in preparation for the wing Financial Working Group's (FWG) first BER meeting in mid-Jan.
December: By the end of December, units (including each section) should have either spent or obligated 25% of their budget. Sections who have not achieved this milestone must justify why and, if they cannot justify why, are in danger of losing unused funds during the first BER process
Task and People Orientation
Every negotiation involves some sort of task and the interaction of two or more people or groups. These two variables form the "framework" used to visualize and understand the differences between the five negotiation strategies. Once you decide what is more important (task or people), you can then select the negotiation style that is most appropriate for the situation.
People Orientation The relationships we have in life may be compared to the various plates we use, depending on the task.
Family is like fine china. We care for them deeply and keep them in a cherished place in our lives, homes, and hearts. We do our very best to protect them and consider time spent with them special. Friends are more like those plates we use regularly. They are convenient, resilient, and relatively easy to maintain. We keep them even though some are scratched and chipped. Strangers, those rare acquaintances, are like paper plates. We employ them once or twice and, without hesitation, discard them. They can be found in large quantities and are relatively low-cost to us. Some say these relationships are regarded as "disposable
Execution Plan (EP:
Formally called Execution Plan, the basic purpose of the EP submission is to ensure an equitable distribution of the President's Budget (PB for the next fiscal year (budget year consistent with accomplishing Air Force program objectives. The EP is the main vehicle for distributing anticipated funding (direct & reimbursable in an equitable manner. All organizational levels contribute their corporate knowledge and expertise
Expert
Having expertise refers to how well one's special knowledge or skills related to the job. As a subject-matter expert, you become quite a valuable member of the organization. For example, an Airman assigned to a customer service section may not have the position power of his superintendent.
Position
In negotiations, a position is what you want, not necessarily what you need. It is your vision of your best possible outcome. A negotiating position is not based on haphazard thought. It should be based on carefully developed interests and desired outcomes.
Second Quarter
January: In mid-January, the wing's FWG holds its first BER. It is during this meeting that all unfunded requests are considered and prioritized ("racked and stacked"). Also during the meeting, decisions are made to re-allocate (take from one unit and give to another) funds to cover the unfunded requests based on priorities assigned. This is why it is important to have either spent or obligated 25% of your funds or risk losing them during the BER. Also in January, usually near the end of the month, cost centers submit inputs for the next FY's EP. This is another time when NCOs become an important part of the budget process because they must submit justification for existing baseline expenses and for any projected unfunded mission-related expenses.
To emphasize the NCOs role in process improvement and resource conservation, the Enlisted Force Structure states that NCOs must, "Develop innovative ways to improve processes and provide suggestions up the chain of command that will directly contribute to unit and mission success" and to "Seek ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
In today's challenged economy, we must do our part as military service members and American citizens to reduce operational costs to maximize the taxpayer's return of investment and better serve our warfighters.
Information
Information power refers to the knowledge, use, and sharing of data one possesses that others may need or desire. Having access to secure data systems, leadership or classified meetings, briefings, even good gossip, increases your information power base. Some tend to withhold information from others so they maintain the advantage and the informational "higher hand." However, when you trust others and share information, you increase their information power as well as their trust in you.
Reward
It is the capability to positively impact one's current situation with something that person values...rewards! This position power must also be perceived as an actual ability one has in order to positively affect others or their situation. In other words, if you don't have the ability to provide the reward, don't offer it...doing so could negatively impact the negotiation.
Third Quarter April: Sections continue to compile unfunded requests in preparation for the second BER.
May: The RA finalizes the unit's BER inputs. The wing's FWG holds its second BER, typically mid-May. June: By the end of June, units (including each section) should have either spent or obligated 75% of their budget. Sections who have not achieved this milestone must justify why and, if they cannot justify why, are in danger of losing unused funds during the first BER process. Also, near the end of June, units begin receiving warnings that the wing's FWG will take control of unspent or unobligated funds by 1 August (typically).
This is a vast category that includes natural and man-made resources to include:
Natural: Agriculture Air Land Water Wood Man-made: Clothing Food Office/industrial equipment plastic vehicles
Negotiation
Negotiation is a communication process involving two or more people/groups where: 1. the parties have a degree of difference in positions, interests, goals, values or beliefs. 2. the parties strive to reach agreement on issues or course of action.
First Quarter
October: During this month, the Air Force receives its funding authorization, which comes in the form of actual funds or a Continuing Resolution Authority (CRA). Once the Air Force receives its funding, it disperses it throughout the Air Force (Major Commands [MAJCOMs], etc). The Execution Plan (EP) must be developed and approved prior to 30 September in order to be ready to implement on 1 October for the new FY.
A trusting relationship means you are willing to consider the opposite's needs and desires during negotiations as well as sharing information with the expectation of receiving these actions of trust in return.
On the other hand, disregarding the relationship, trust, and information leads to a negative result. Here, you intend to ignore the opposite's needs and desires and/or may not trust the information they provide. This distrust may prompt you to refuse or disclosure information even to the point of being vague or misleading. There is a fine ethical line here so be careful when negotiating to avoid creating a distrusting relationship and an uncomfortable situation.
Referent (or charisma)
People respond to this power because they either have a high identification with you and respect or admire you. Others tend to follow and agree with you because they aspire to be like you. By influencing others (positively or negatively), you are able to encourage, motivate, and inspire. One can develop this power by simply working with and leading others.
Coercive
People who have the ability to discipline or negatively impact their opposite's current or future state has coercive power. However, to be effective, others must acknowledge you have the capability and will to carry out your intentions. For example, a parent can coerce a child to clean his/her room by threatening to take away the child's play time or allowance. This tactic will only be effective if the parent is willing to follow through with the threat. If the parent makes threats but doesn't follow through, the child might not clean his/her room because he/she knows there will be no repercussions.
Personal Power
Persaonal power is derived from confidence and trust that others have in the leader and is earned.
Personal Trust
Personal trust stands alone. It is not reliant on any institution or third party. At the most basic level, personal trust is established between two people who share the same interests. Consider the relationship between supervisor and subordinate. As a supervisor, you trust that your subordinate is going to do his/her job, be respectful, and 'allow' you to lead him/her. Building personal trust is accomplished by taking into account how well you conduct yourself, complete assigned tasks, and by considering your reputation, status, and standing in society.
Process Trust
Process trust exists when both parties have faith in a governing institution and believes that it supports their negotiations. We trust that these processes promote outcomes that are justified (fair and impartial), legal, and ethically moral for both parties. Process trust in the Air Force includes several programs such as the Inspector General complaint system, Equal Opportunity policies and programs, Air Force instructions, and the most crucial process trust of them all, the trust we have in the core values. Many agreements between two military members who do not know each other are based on the belief that the opposite will adhere to these institutional values as they negotiate.
Anti-Deficiency Act:
Prohibits from involving the government in a contract or obligation for the payment of money before an appropriation is made unless authorized by law. Prohibits against over obligating or overspending an appropriation.
Cost Center Manager (CCM:
Regulates the daily use of work hours, supplies, equipment, and services in producing or doing things. Also, continually monitors the relationship between resources used and products produced to allow for informed resource realignments.
Although there is no official template when creating a execution plan, they should include:
Section 1: Mission-Critical Requirements: Lists all mission-critical requirements funded within the projected fiscal year's budget along with the element of expense investment code (EEIC) associated with each requirement. Section 2: Justification: This is a short narrative justifying each requirement identified in Section I. Section 3: Unfunded Requirements: Another list identifying mission-essential requirements that exceed projected funding. Again, include a narrative justifying each requirement. Section 4: Spend Plan: Illustrates how projected funds will be spent over a 12-month fiscal year period.
Milestones Associated with Budgeting Process
Significant events in the budgeting process. (CRA, BER, End-of-Quarter, Close-out, etc
Financial
This is the resource that is required in order to procure the material, information and technology, and warfare resources we need to accomplish our missions. Understanding how the financial systems and processes work is critical to the NCOs ability to ensure their Airmen have what they need to successfully complete their missions both at home station and deployed locations.
The PECI Program is also linked with the Air Force IDEA Program to provide a potential path for increased incentive. The Air Force IDEA Program is an incentive program that promotes process improvement and/or resource savings through ideas submitted by military and civilian employees.
Some PECI submissions are eligible for individual monetary awards based on meeting eligibility requirements and quantifiable savings/benefits. Monetary awards are paid upon validation of tangible savings and/or intangible benefits.
Timelines Associated with Budgeting Process
Submission deadlines associated with quarterly and annual budget requirements.
TIPO Model
TIPO (pronounced "typo") identifies how trust influences your use of information, power affects the way you develop, and how well you develop, options or solutions to solve or resolve a current problem, conflict, or situation.
Types of Waste DEFECTS - Defects that cause rework or scrap are a tremendous cost to organizations and have a direct impact on the bottom line. OVERPRODUCTION - Producing an item before it is actually required. WAITING - Whenever goods are not moving or being processed, the waste of waiting occurs. NON-STANDARD OVER PROCESSING - Often termed as "using a bazooka to swat flies," many organizations use expensive high precision equipment where simpler tools would be sufficient.
TRANSPORTATION - Moving product(s) between processes is a cost that adds no value to the product. INTELLECT - Not recognizing skill sets people bring to the job. Any failure to fully utilize the time and talents of people. MOTION -unnecessary movement of data, files, tools, or equipment. Excessive motion to get the job done i.e. (bending, walking, lifting, reaching, etc.) EXCESS INVENTORY - Having more files than can be processed during a specified period of time
Be the NCO! Be the one who: Nurtures and creates an organizational culture that fosters and promotes a resource-conscious attitude. Coach and support the awareness and development of every Airman by teaching, training, and educating them in the ways we effectively use the resources we depend on. Champions resource stewardship by advocating for the resources you need. Promote and defend the programs, processes, and leadership decisions that ensure the smart use of our resources and be aware of the fiscal timelines to support your efforts.
Takes Ownership in the organization's resource management program. Be an active role model in effectively using and managing the resources of your organization. Be on the lookout for and correct the activities and personnel that waste or misuse resources and commend those who appropriately conserve. The actions, attitude, and behaviors you demonstrate as a resource steward will influence the Airmen you serve with now and the generations that will follow.
Do not submit an ACR to solve short-term problems or when experiencing:
Temporary shortage of assigned personnel Poor or inadequate supervision, personality conflicts, or lack of qualified personnel Self-imposed work over load Inefficient procedures and/or ineffective/inefficient use of personnel
Anti-Deficiency Act
The Anti-Deficiency Act (ADA is a law where Congress exercises its constitutional control over the public purse. The act requires agencies that have violated its rules to report to the President and Congress all relevant facts and a statement of actions taken. The act further requires agencies to transmit a copy of each report to the Comptroller General on the same date the report is transmitted to the President and Congress.
Budget Execution Review (BER
The Budget Execution Review (BER is a review cycle conducted twice during the fiscal year to identify, validate, prioritize, and request additional resources for unfunded requirements. The BER is the annual two-part process where funding shortfalls are reviewed for potential funding at installation level and then levels above the installation level. The BER process is a formal process that allow commanders to internally reprogram funds or identify and justify high priority unfunded requirements and prioritize (rack and stack) for the next higher level.
Comply ("Yes, absolutely, let's do it your way!")
The Comply strategy tends to delegate the responsibility to the other person or party. This (along with the Evade strategy) is a passive approach to negotiations. This strategy is preferred when preserving the relationship between you and the other party is the paramount concern even if it is at the expense of the task. The result of this strategy is that the more assertive party gets what they want and you, as the compliant side, give up whatever is at stake or gives in to the opposite.
Cooperate ("Let's work together and come up with an even better idea")
The Cooperative Negotiation Strategy (CNS) reflects high interests in both people and task orientations. CNS seeks to create new value within available resources. This style is useful when a party desires to achieve a mutually satisfying outcome while simultaneously managing the relationship. For this to occur, trust must exist with both parties willing to share information and power. They must also suspend judgment in order to work together to develop options. Cooperation is particularly effective in diverse situations, especially in the military environment. Agreements in the military must be reached with people and groups that are often very different.
Execution Plan (EP
The EP ensures an equitable distribution of the President's Budget (PB for the next fiscal year (budget year consistent with accomplishing Air Force program objectives and is the main vehicle for distributing anticipated funding (direct & reimbursable in an equitable manner.
Negotiation Strategy Selection Evade ("Not now, can you come back later?")
The Evade strategy is a passive, unassertive strategy where you do not have any motivation to work your expectations or meet their expectations. When might you choose to evade or kick the can down the road? Evade works if the issue at hand is totally unimportant to you, if you have higher priorities, or you lack the energy and drive to tackle the problem. Often the status quo is actually preferred to any envisioned solution. Also, you may use the Evade strategy if you are faced with an overwhelmingly competitive opponent that you have no power over.
Insist ("Take it or Leave it")
The Insist strategy is useful when you believe that obtaining your objective is paramount, regardless of the cost to the opposite's interests or the relationship. The Insist strategy is usually associated with a position and declared with a demand that leaves little room for movement and /or compromise. Information is usually hoarded and withheld. Relationships are usually put at risk and any long-term negotiating relationships are difficult to maintain. This style is preferred when a "winner takes all" requirement is sought. Usually the Insist strategy is used when there is a single issue (like price or security) and the possibility of future interaction between the parties is unlikely or winner's residual power after the negotiations will allow for more use of the Insist strategy. The Insist strategy is quick, and there's usually one outcome: one party "wins" and the other "loses." At issue is which party gets to play the victor or the vanquished. Usually, the party with the greater amount of power is the victor.
Settle ("Let's just split the difference and call it a day")
The Settle strategy may be an option when you seek resolution to a situation, but see little chance for you to really get it "your way" (e.g. the Insist Strategy) or you don't want to "give in" (e.g. the Comply Strategy) to the opposite. By using the Settle strategy, you may minimally satisfy both side's task interests through the process of compromising on whatever difference separates you from the opposite; usually in the form of splitting the difference "...somewhere down the middle". The Settle strategy usually opens not with a demand (a hard position with no wiggle room), but a softer "offer" (a position leaving some room for you or the opposite to maneuver the other to a solution). Each party "gets something", but usually not what you really need or what fully satisfies you. Additionally, the people orientation is not strong, as you expect the opposite to take care of their interests as you are taking care of yours.
Zone of Possible Agreement (ZOPA)
The area between each party's aspiration point and reservation point. It is also called the 'bargaining range.'
Aspiration Point
The best each party hopes to get out of a negotiated agreement
Budget Process
The budget process is a perpetual cycle of planning, programming, revising, adjusting, and spending. Each cycle lasts one fiscal year (FY) which begins on 1 October and ends on 30 September of the following year. Each FY is divided into quarters and specific actions take place within each quarter as outlined in Figure 5 below
Options
The final part of the TIPO model uses the foundation of trust and the elements of information and power to develop options. Options are just different ways to potentially solve a problem or come to a mutual agreement and are often referred to as solutions, choices, and alternatives. Option building requires two elements: 1) define the problem that needs solving and 2) identify possible resources (information, power, time, people, money, etc.) that may be available. Usually, more options can be developed when an abundance of resources are available. Note the first two resources listed were information and power. I
Negotiation Preferences and Styles Chart (NPSC)
The five strategies for the Negotiation Preferences and Styles Chart (NPSC) were developed by the USAF Negotiations Center of Excellence based on an interest-based business model for negotiations and converted to a practical model for military negotiations and problem- solving
Information
The level of trust directly influences the amount of information that is shared between you and the opposite. Information is so critical to developing options it is actually one of your personal power bases (coming up next). It can range from the amount of resources available to classified intelligence. Trust directly affects the quality and amount of information each party is willing to disclose. If you trust the opposite, you believe the information they present is truthful and accurate and will feel more comfortable sharing information with them.
Cost Center (CC:
The organization that gathers and distributes cost data.
Performance Management
This manpower competency concentrates on programs that increase workforce efficiency and organization cost effectiveness. One of the major programs you can use to enhance Performance Management is the Productivity Enhancement Capital Investment (PECI Program. This program can provide you with expedient funding for capital acquisition projects, productivity improvement projects, and investment opportunities which provide measurable benefits, real savings, and produce a return on investment (ROI for the Air Force within a 2 to 4 year period.
Opposite
The person or group with whom you are engaged in negotiations. Sometimes called the negotiation partner, the opposite recognizes the idea that you lack agreement and must negotiate to solve a problem or reach an agreement. As an NCO, your 'opposite' might be your subordinate, supervisor/chain of command, peer, etc
Task Orientation
The second variable is task orientation. In the NPSC, task orientation refers to the importance of resolving the problem to meet your needs. In the military context, it is getting the mission done. A positive task orientation means that you are very motivated to resolve a problem or respond to a critical situation. Conversely, a negative task orientation means that you do not wish to resolve the situation at this time or not at all. It could be that you are satisfied with the current situation or status quo.
Despite mission differences, most organizations' EPs include the same basic requirements
These include government purchase card (GPC) items, equipment purchases, training and development, and temporary duty expenses. Most organizations also have information technology costs such as the purchase, repair, or replacement of computers, printers, copiers, monitors, and maintenance and service contracts. Other common areas include civilian pay, building maintenance, and custodial service contracts.
Requirements Determination
This competency centers on the ACR which is a multi-purpose instrument used to propose adjustments to a UMD. ACRs are commonly used to request increases, decreases, or realignments of manpower requirements and/or to change attributes on the UMD. When your organizational mission changes, it may prompt an adjustment to one, some, or many of the positions listed on the UMD.
Program Allocation and Control
This competency centers on the Unit Manpower Document (UMD, funded and unfunded position requirements
Organization Structure
This competency deals with the functionality of organizations, specifically activation, inactivation, redesignation, and reorganization. The Organizational Change Request (OCR is the instrument used to activate, inactivate, redesignate, or reorganize organizations.
a. UMD:
This computer product details the organization structure, (the number, skills, and grade and security requirements of manpower authorizations), the position number for each authorization and other pertinent data commanders and managers need to manage manpower resources. Any change to the UMD requires a formal Authorization Change Request (ACR - see below), signed by the appropriate commander.
Financial Resources
This is the most common appropriation you will use and is known as Operations and Maintenance (O&M) funds. This includes funding for mobilization, recruiting, training, administration, and service-wide activities, civilian salaries, operating and maintaining an installation, environmental restoration, and a myriad of other costs associated with day-to-day Air Force operations. Though it is important to know all of the information mentioned above, as NCOs we're most concerned with O&M appropriations because that is where we receive the funds necessary to accomplish our day-to-day responsibilities.
Something else to consider when assessing a relationship's importance is how much you may need the opposite's involvement in the negotiation process. If you need the opposite's power (i.e. referent, information, expert, coercive, connection, reward, legitimate) and/or their participation to develop potential options; you need a positive relationship.
This will guide your strategy selection. However, if you do not value the opposite's power (perhaps because you have enough power of your own) or their participation in the process, your people orientation will be low (negative) which will steer your selection toward a more task oriented style.
Trust
Trust is the basis for any relationship. Trust, as it pertains to TIPO, is defined as your belief and/or evidence that the opposite's interactions with you are genuine, sincere, and honest. The more you trust the opposite's actions and interactions, the more trusting you are of the opposite's actions and intentions. Usually, increased trust leads to actions that result in positive outcomes like believing the information one provides is accurate or confident they will accomplish a task just as you instructed.
In assessing TIPO, the Settle Strategy may be appropriate when:
Trust: A certain amount of trust is needed to use the Settle strategy. It will impact the way you perceive power and information. Sometimes trust can be found in the process, like a third party Information: Because there is some trust, you perceive the opposite is providing reasonably accurate information, although you are not sure if they are partially or fully disclosing information. Because trust is neither strong nor weak, you protect yourself by slowly yielding information to them. Power: When power is evenly divided between parties, and trust is not high, the Settle strategy allows both parties to exercise some control over the process, but not to the total detriment of the opposite. In this situation, especially when personal and position power is diffused (there are experts and rank on both parties), compromises are necessary Options: Option development is somewhat limited, but is based on your perception that there is some element of trust, a belief that the opposite's information is truthful (perhaps incomplete, but accurate), and some acknowledgement that neither side has the power to unilaterally conclude a deal. You also acknowledge that all the interests needed to drive home a deal don't lie with you and you must consider some of their interests. In the Settle strategy planning phase, you still determine what you need, but then establish some wiggle room between what you would like to settle for (aspiration point) and what the worst you would agree to (reservation point).
Who
Who are you dealing with? A subordinate, peer, supervisor, etc.? When dealing with supervisors and peers, insisting may not be appropriate as your opposite may have more position power than you. For instance, it's doubtful any of us could force our commander to act in a given situation. Therefore, cooperating, settling, and complying may be more appropriate. On the other hand, if we have position power, insisting may be the most appropriate style. However, before deciding, we need to consider the next factor, the importance of the issue at hand.
In assessing TIPO, the CNS may be appropriate when:
Trust: A great deal of trust must exist for CNS to succeed. Although process trust may be evident, personal trust is also critical, because CNS is based on sharing information and power. Trust building is a foundational tool of CNS. Information: The amount and level of information revealed is based on the strength of the trust between the parties. With stronger trust, more information can be freely and reliably shared. In the ultimate situation, full, unconditional trust (primarily personal trust) could result in the revelation of deep secrets that you would never otherwise divulge. Power: With great levels of trust, defensive mechanisms are not as important and people feel less vulnerable to manipulation. Lowered defensive mechanisms means you are willing to share power, both in the negotiation process and ultimately sharing power in selecting the option to be executed. At times, you may select an option that more completely satisfies the opposite's interests, knowing that in execution, you trust they will be looking out for your best interests if something unusual should arise. Options: Because there is an exchange of information, there is also an exchange of ideas resulting in multiple ways to possibly solve the problem under consideration. CNS works best when parties develop multiple options and then explore which of the proposed options, either in their original or modified form, might best solve the problem. Unlike the Insist strategy, where there is only "my way" to solve my problem, CNS might find "our way" to solve our problem.
In assessing TIPO, the Comply strategy may be appropriate when:
Trust: In assessing the situation, if there is a trusting relationship between the parties, and there is a desire to continue trust-building, then the Comply strategy may be appropriate. Information: You may have information, be willing to share information, and have the opposite trust your information (and you trust the opposite's), but it is of little benefit to you because the balance of power heavily favors the opposite. This doesn't mean the opposite will necessarily hold this imbalance in power over you, although he/she may have the ability to do that. It means you cannot initiate or follow through on any implementation without the cooperation of the opposite. Power: If you have little power, or the power you do have is not perceived as legitimate by the opposite, then your negotiating strategy choices are limited to what the opposite will allow you to accomplish. However, you can be in a situation where you have high trust and no power. This means you seek to work with the opposite, even to the point where the outcome may be worse for you than the status quo. You may also have sufficient power to deal with the issue, but need to devote that power to a more critical task. Options: Under the Comply strategy, options are lop-sided in favor of the opposite. This do not always mean a bad outcome for you. If one of your interests is to build rapport and goodwill for relations and negotiations later on, then the Comply strategy may help you build it. When employing the Comply strategy, you must carefully evaluate the potential impact on long-term relations. If you are quick to comply, for example, your opposite may see it as a sign of weakness that will set a challenging stage for future negotiations.
In assessing TIPO, the Insist strategy may be appropriate when:
Trust: Trust does not exist, is not needed, or is not valued. Simply put, the Insist strategy is not IF you win, but HOW MUCH you will win. Information: Similar to the conditions in the power discussion above, your situational assessment reveals that you do not need and / or do not trust their information. Your assessment is that their information may be truthful but of no value or the information is suspect and thus worthless to you. You are assuming you have all the information needed for a clear decision and the information you have is of sufficient quality. Power: The Insist strategy requires overwhelming power. In the assessment, you must consider not only the power you need to win the negotiation and defeat the opposite, but to also have sufficient power to ensure the agreement is executed. Too often, you might use all your power in the negotiations to dominate the opposite, only to have the execution fail because the opposite, in the execution phase, has more power than you, or has built a coalition of power to resist your ability to enforce the agreement's terms. Option: Option development under the Insist strategy is one-sided - your side. Since trust is low, power is high, and the opposite's information is scarce or not valued, you are essentially negotiating with yourself to come up with the preferred solution to meet your interests and ignore, either intentionally or unintentionally, the other party's interests. An Insist strategy may be appropriate in a crisis, when time is short and even though you might trust the opposite, there is not enough time to gather information, share power and take the time to mutually develop options for consideration as potential solutions. In this strategy, official power is needed in quantities sufficient to execute the solution.
In assessing TIPO, the Evade strategy may be appropriate when:
Trust: When trust is low, to the point you believe the opposite is not willing to work with you or you believe they intend you ill will, the Evade strategy may buy you time. The passage of time may allow for conditions to change in your favor. Information: With low information, either you have too little information from the opposite to work the issue, are not motivated to gain the needed information, or don't trust the information you do have. Sometimes the information you have may discourage you from engaging in the issue, even if the opposite is interested in engaging. Power: You have little or no effective power. Especially if your powers are being diverted to tackle other pressing issues. Options: To develop options, you need resources. In this situation, where trust and power are low, your option is limited to what you can dream up on your own, trusting only the information you can validate. Often, this results in a situation where the status quo is not only better than any envisioned outcome of the proposed negotiations, but your only available option, since you have no power to engage the opposite.
Legitimate
Typically associated with one's rank, position, or level of authority; legitimate power affords you the right to accomplish a task, issue an order, or insist an action based on your position or authority. However, it is important to add that you should only use this power if your intentions are legal, ethical, and appropriate.
This results in a greater selection of options to choose from later. However, if you feel the opposite is withholding or offering false information, you may either have to use a third party source to validate the information, confront the opposite with your concerns regarding the information, dismiss the information altogether, or continue to negotiate based only on the information provided.
Unfortunately, merely trusting the information can be quite challenging. For instance, no matter how much you trust your preferred car dealership, you should never share your bank account information with the salesman. Pretty self-explanatory, right? On the other hand, many trusting relationships allow for honest disclosure of information, which may include the disclosing of unpleasant, unpopular, or less preferred information.
Stakes
What do you stand to gain or lose? If the issue is trivial (the stakes are low), you could evade it or even comply with the other party. Conversely, if the issue is critical (the stakes are high), evading may be appropriate at first to allow time to gather enough information to fully understand the issue and to carefully consider all options
Resource stewardship
is the "careful and responsible management of resources under one's control." For the NCO, this requires the efficient and effective use of assigned personnel, financial, material, warfare, and information & technology resources to ensure mission success. To assist in understanding the concept of resource stewardship, first examine the resources you are responsible for: personnel, financial, and material.
Continuous Improvement
is the strategic, never-ending, incremental refinement of the way we perform our duties and responsibilities.
You may be wondering how the Plate Analogy relates to Negotiation. We treat people differently depending on the relationships we have with them.
• Family, takes less negotiating • Friends; a bit more • Strangers, much more The first variable, people orientation, are those relationships that exist between us and others. In some situations, these relationships are more important to develop and maintain than the tasks at hand. However, the ability to negotiate does not mean you have to develop a friendship. Though beneficial, being friends with the opposite is not necessary.
There are trust-building measures available to help you establish and/or validate another's trust. These are small steps that help set the expectation of honorable exchanges between you and the opposite:
• providing good information in a way the opposite understands • delivering on promises made • taking a genuine interest in the opposite and his/her needs These trust-building measures enhance the trust that exists between two people and helps facilitate communication that is more effective and negotiations.
