Creative negotiations on the construction site: How to enlarge the pie!

Creative negotiations on the construction site: How to enlarge the pie!

In the construction industry, where time and cost pressure are often high, motivation-oriented communication is becoming increasingly important. As solidbau.at reports, this type of communication not only promotes the negotiation culture, but also helps to avoid hardened fronts. Instead of fixating on fixed positions, it proves advantageous to recognize the interests of the other person. This allows creative solutions to be found that are beneficial for everyone involved.

The Harvard concept, which was developed at Harvard University in the USA in the 1970s, plays a central role in this context. This concept aims to develop win-win solutions that benefit everyone involved. This method, also known as “factual negotiation,” follows concrete principles to reach fair agreements. It's about separating the emotional and factual aspects of a negotiation and working together on solutions that take the interests of both parties into account.

The Harvard concept in detail

The Harvard Concept is based on five fundamental principles that enable a structured approach to negotiations. These principles are:

• Trennung von Mensch und Problem: Sachliche und emotionale Aspekte werden differenziert betrachtet.
• Fokus auf Interessen statt auf Positionen: Die zugrunde liegenden Interessen beider Seiten werden analysiert.
• Entwickeln von Optionen: Alternative Handlungsansätze werden gemeinsam erarbeitet.
• Festlegen objektiver Kriterien: Faire und nachvollziehbare Kriterien zur Bewertung von Ergebnissen werden festgelegt.
• Erarbeiten von BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement): Die besten Alternativen werden erörtert, falls die Verhandlung nicht zum gewünschten Ergebnis führt.

By applying these principles, you can not only avoid conflicts, but also strengthen long-term business relationships. The efficient exchange of interests is particularly crucial in the construction industry, where numerous negotiations about resource use or supplier loyalty are the order of the day. Avoiding win-lose situations and finding common solutions helps ensure that all parties feel comfortable with the results.

Advantages and stumbling blocks

The advantages of the Harvard concept are obvious. Better communication not only achieves individually satisfactory results, but also lays the foundation for future collaborations. However, there are also challenges. Emotional aspects can make factual exchange difficult and an imbalance in bargaining power can affect the application of the model. Despite these stumbling blocks, if both sides have good will, it is a helpful tool for successful negotiations.

Overall, it shows that with the right communication strategy and a clear understanding of the interests of everyone involved, constructive solutions are possible, even in turbulent times in the construction industry. The principles of the Harvard concept should therefore be increasingly used in negotiations in order to save costs and secure long-term cooperation. As projekte-leicht-machen.de and handlungstraining.org emphasize, this structured approach can significantly promote the implementation of win-win solutions.