Creative negotiation

GREGORIO BILLIKOPF
University of California
Labor Management in Agriculture: Cultivating Personnel Productivity
(c) 2003 Regents of the University of California
All Rights Reserved [e-mail], [phone]

18
Creative Negotiation

The very thought of negotiating sounds intimidating, yet we are all experienced negotiators. Any time we come to an agreement on anything, we are negotiating. Some of it we may do somewhat subconsciously, such as deciding who says hello first, or holding a cattle gate open for another rider to pass through. Determining where to go out for dinner with your spouse, or asking your daughter for help in training a colt also involves negotiation. More traditional issues we associate with negotiation may include agreeing on (1) a pruning price with your vineyard crew,
(2) how much you are going to pay to have your postharvest cooling shed constructed, or (3) what you will get for your export cherries.
One thing that these examples have in common, is that they involve people.

Many of us developed a love for agriculture based on our love for farm animals and plants. We may at first be surprised to see instead, what a large portion of our day involves interacting with people. We can take specific steps to become more effective negotiators.
Negotiation skills include being well prepared, showing patience, maintaining integrity, avoiding the presumption of evil, controlling our emotions, understanding the role of time pressures, breaking down bigger issues into smaller ones, avoiding threats and manipulative tactics, focusing first on the problem rather than on the solution, seeking interest-based decisions, and rejecting weak solutions. We shall visit these later in this chapter.
Much of this book incorporates negotiation principles in one way or

218 • L A B O R M A N AG E M E N T I N A G R I C U LT U R E : C U LT I VAT I N G P E R S O N N E L P R O D U C T I V I T Y

Many