Based on current research, the following is a summary of the information you need to set up an optimal accountability system for negotiators in your organization:
– Require your subordinates to justify their negotiation strategy to you in advance
– Hold negotiators accountable for the process they’ve outlined – not just their ultimate goal
– To decrease the impact of irrelevant information, encourage negotiators to list ahead of time the most important kinds of information they should gather – and to refer often to their list during negotiations
– In one-issue negotiations, encourage competition by promising high-stakes rewards
– In multi-issue negotiations, encourage cooperation by rewarding long-term relationships and creative solutions
– Downplay partisanship by emphasizing the value of objectivity
– To decrease the stress of accountability, hold teams of negotiators responsible for their decisions