Soft vs. Hard
From Peacebuilding
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- ACTIVITY
- NEGOTIATION
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Contents |
Note
This activity can be used after a presentation of the table “positional bargaining, soft vs. hard” (see handout below). The table has been adapted from Fisher, Roger, Ury, William, Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, New York: Penguin, 1991.
It stimulates participants to explore deeply the characteristics of positional bargaining - by supporting one or the other side.
Purpose
To explore the characteristics of positional bargaining.
Participants
At least four participants.
Time
10-20 minutes (5 min. for reading and familiarising with the table, the rest for the shouting fight)
Materials
Copies of the Handout “Positional Bargaining Soft vs. Hard”.
Process
I) Divide the plenary in two teams. Ask them to sit facing each other.
II) Distribute copies of the handout to each group.
III) Tell one team that they will have to support Soft positional bargaining; the other will be for Hard positional bargaining. Their task is convince the other team of the validity of the method they support. Allow sufficient time for preparing.
IV) Give a Start to let the “confrontation” start. Let each one to express freely; do not try to control the dynamics of interaction.
V) Give a signal to stop the confrontation. Ask participants to return to their original seats and think in silent for one minute to what emerged during the activity.
VI) Invite those who want to share their thoughts.
Handout: Positional Bargaining: Soft vs. Hard
| Soft Positional Bargaining | Hard Positional Bargaining |
| Participants are friends | Participants are adversaries |
| The goal is agreement | The goal is victory |
| Make concessions to cultivate the relationship | Demand concessions as a condition of the relationship |
| Be soft on the people and the problem | Be hard on the people and the problem |
| Trust others | Distrust others |
| Change your position easily | Dig into your position |
| Make offers | Make threats |
| Disclose your bottom line | Mislead as to your bottom line |
| Accept one-sided losses to reach agreement | Demand one-sided gains as the price for agreement |
| Search for the single answer: the one they will accept | Search for the single answer: the one you will accept |
| Insist on agreement | Insist on your position |
| Try to avoid a contest of will | Try to win a contest of will |
| Yeld to pressure | Apply pressure |
