By Joni Daniels

Traditionally we think of power as the advantage of the strong over the weak However, power is not absolute - especially in negotiation. The ultimate power of the consumer is the refusal to buy. When power is applied to a negotiation, it is to persuade other to reduce demands.

Power doesn't exist in a negotiation unless it's perceived, by the wielder of it as well as others. Power must be perceived by both parties. If you have strong position and don't realize it, then strength becomes valueless. If you realize your strength but fail to exercise it, the other party won't be intimidated by it and will negotiate as if it didn't exist.

How is power exercised? The direct method works well. Remind others of the rewards or punishments that power can provide. DON'T roll over and play dead. You always have more power than you think. Act as if you have no chink in your armor. On the other hand, assume the other party has one behind their facade.

Someone who enters a negotiation with a defeated outlook spends time and energy worrying about others strengths. The likely winner is someone who tests the other party’s strength, discounts it, and find ways to reduce or neutralize it.


What Type of Power Are You Dealing With?

TITLE - The president has full power of the office and it is independent of his personal power.

REWARD - Also known as Lollipop power, the ability to provide compensation.

COERCION - Also known as spanking power, the threat of embarrassment or making future trouble.

REFERENT - The person stands for something and others refer and treat him/her as an authority on that subject.

CHARISMA - The magnetism and force of personality.

EXPERTISE - Having the knowledge or ability that other's don't have.

SITUATION - Having authority simply because of the situation you are in, like a teacher in a classroom.

INFORMATION - The sharing of information can form a bond, and the withholding of it can be intimidating.

And don’t confuse Pressure with Power. It is NOT the same thing as power. Pressure can be exerted without power by the relatively powerless, as well as the powerful. Obviously a powerful state knows how to exert pressure on weak neighbor, but what about pressure exerted by crying baby, or peasant guerrilla who kidnaps powerful government official or tenant who refuses to pay rent?

Webster defines pressure as the continuing application of force. Pressure from baby's cry increases as the crying continues; a kidnapper's pressure intensifies as time passes.

Be Aware of Psychological Pressure

Selection of Location - Your place or mine? - Negotiators in hostile territory can feel almost as helpless as basketball teams away from home.

Even Sides - Or is it 3 against 1, 4 against 2, 2 against 1?

Appearance - Has one side out dressed the other?

Introductions - A psychological put-down. What's in a title, or a handshake?

Timing - Schedule for Friday afternoon, end of the day, just before a holiday.

Teams - Split the group; divide and conquer.

Some of this may seem trivial. However, if it intimidates or unnerves the other party, even just a little, they may fail to put forth their best effort. Know where the power lies and what your power is so that you can close the gap between parties.

A nationally recognized management development consultant, speaker, trainer and author, Joni Daniels is Principal of Daniels & Associates, providing solutions to training needs and presenting programs on personal and professional development. She has served as an instructor in management topics at the Wharton School’s SBDC, successfully addressed a wide variety of audiences, written a wide range of articles on professional issues, serves as a resource for a range of business publications, TV, and radio, and is frequently is quoted on management topics. She is the author of “POWER TOOLS FOR WOMEN®: Plugging into the Essential Skills for Life and Work,” (Three Rivers Press, 02/02) and, Reach her at www.jonidaniels.com