Reflection on Learning Negotiations

Taking this class has taught me many valuable lessons that I can use in my personal life and take with me into the real world. I've learned things about myself as a negotiator. I always like to find win-win situations so that both parties can get an outcome they like. I've been in situations where I did not get a good outcome and the other party did, so I know how that feels. I like to think of myself as collaborative and willing to work with others to come up with a solution. While negotiating this semester, I think I held strengths of openness to the opposing party's opinions and views, listening to what they have to say, being honest throughout the negotiation, having the perseverance to continue on, and being flexible to what I want and what the opposing team wants. I think I also can display some weaknesses while negotiating as well. I think because I care about my opposing team and wanting them to get an outcome that is okay for them too, I tend to let them have more of what they want. Sometimes I do this without knowing what they truly want and I give in. I can improve this by focusing more on my interests in a way that I can still make the other team happy. I think what gets me is deceit and not being able to tell that from truthfulness, so I will focus on what they are saying and try to trust them. Another weakness I found after negotiating was caving in or giving in quickly just to reach an agreement. If I spend more time trying to dissect the situation and really think about it, I may reach an even better agreement for myself. Overall, this class has taught me a great deal of valuable information and lessons that I will use from now until the rest of my life in the business world.