Team Planning 

There are many advantages to having a negotiating team, but there are also some pitfalls. The most common danger in team negotiations is the difficulty teams have in operating as a single, disciplined unit. Misunderstandings, lack of coordination and even open disagreements at the bargaining table are the results of a poor team process planning and can be disastrous to a negotiation.

If you will be working with a team in a negotiation, it is essential to spend enough time focusing on team roles and team interaction during the planning process. This is especially important where the team members have not negotiated together before.

The usual procedure is to have one individual act as team leader. This person directs traffic, handles the interactions with the other side, and manages the process. The team leader does not have to be the highest ranking person on the team and the team leader can change during the negotiation.

Where a team has been through a number of negotiations together, it may be possible to relax the team leader discipline to some extent. However, it is important to make sure that your actions are coordinated and that you are not subject to divide-and-conquer or fragmentation efforts by the other side.

When you have a team, make sure to utilize the full strength of the manpower available to you. If one person is going to be occupied with the team leader role, then one or more of the other people on the team should concentrate on such things as observing, listening, taking notes, calculating, etc.

Have you attended a negotiation training program? They probably have.