Choosing communication media for negotiation

Abstract

Communication is one of the most essential and fundamental parts of being human. Therefore, it also plays a major role in the way we solve issues in a work environment, and it is especially important to have clear an constructive communication in a context where two parties either disagree or both want a certain outcome of a situation – for instance during negotiation. The communication media has proven to have an essential impact on the outcome of a negotiation , and is therefore an important concept for a project manager to be aware of. Negotiation is a key part of the role of a project manager which acquires certain Negotiation Skills. It is a process of communicating back and forth with the goal of making a joint decision, a way of finding a solution to a shared problem that suites all involved parties and hopefully achieve an ideal outcome .

Our communication media have evolved greatly since the invention of the telephone in 1876 and later even greater with the introduction of the internet in 1969 . These technologies made it possible for people to communicate at a long distance, which has opened up to globalization. But with the new communication media, brought by these technologies, also came a challenge – we no longer need to be face-to-face in order to interact with each other, which strips away some of the most important communication mechanisms we poses as human beings .

This article will strive to give an insight into the different available types of communication media and how they each work as a tool in negotiation. It will give an overview of the important aspects of communication and how each media satisfy these aspects as a tool for projects managers to use, when deciding on which media to use in negotiation.