Dealing with Conflict in Negotiations

It is important to recognize the impact of human behavior in negotiations. Humans are emotional and our feelings influence results. Product Owners should be aware of how they conduct themselves and avoid showing bias, especially when others share their input and feedback. This helps create a constructive atmosphere that helps everyone share their ideas and information while collaborating toward shared goals.

In general, but especially during negotiations, conflicts often arise when people feel their needs are dismissed. For example, if a requested feature is declined or is put down lower on the Product Backlog  the requesting stakeholder might perceive this as a disregard of their input. They may resist collaborating with you if they don’t clearly understand why. Remember to show empathy by first understanding and then addressing their perspective.  Next reframe the decision and discussion around your Strategic and Product Goals to deescalate the situation and refocus on solutions.

For those individuals who tend to approach negotiations with a “win-at-all-costs” attitude, it is essential that you redirect their energy toward collaboration. For example, emphasize and show them how a cooperative solution benefits everyone.

On the other hand, productive conflict can be a driver of innovation. Different perspectives when facilitated constructively might lead to more creative solutions. For example, a Product Owner might start a respectful and open dialogue to help a Scrum Team move from conflict to exploring alternatives.
 

Resources:
 

Galinsky, Adam, and Maurice Schweitzer. "Emotion and the Art of Negotiation." Harvard Business Review, Dec. 2015, https://hbr.org/2015/12/emotion-and-the-art-of-negotiation.