This morning, after taking a test to value our negotiating skills and styles, and after quite a few role-plays during the course, the teacher asked for two voluntaries to act out a hard negotiation. As usual, no-one offeres but me and A., the Argentinian guy, and so he directly looked me in the eye, motioend 'Let's team up on this one' and I stood up saying out loud 'Yes, well, seeing how little is left of the course...' I really do like the exercises this teacher proposes, and have always been one of the first for role-playing and other situations where *embarassement* may be expected. Plus, I'm one of the 3 people who interact and give any feedback at all, and when any of us three is ill or away for some reason, the classes D-R-A-G on for five and a half hours teacher-only sessions.
Anyway, as soon as she made me walk out to the passage and started giving me the instructions for my role, I KNEW I'd be into trouble. The Argentinian guy is a really strong negotiator, and he's quite inflexible -in fact, he's working on that, as he'd been in charge of Purchases for a huge chain of supermarkets and became used to being in the dominant position, whileas now he's moved to Spain and may end up working in a small company with different policy.
My role: At the moment of signing a contract between both companies (not going into all the details), I realise I had left at the office some vital documents, and can not get them now nor sign later on, as we're at a lawyer's and the earliest new appointment would be in two days. I'd really need to continue with the agreed procedures even if we haven't signed the contract officially with the lawyer's stamp, as I'm counting already on what should be delivered next week.
I walked back into the classroom knowing he would be dominant, specially as I'm on the wrong side, and tried to work on it as collaboratively as possible, but he did, indeed, turn out to be abusive.
The embarassing bit: HE MANAGED TO MAKE ME LOSE MY COOL TOO, WICH HAD NEVER HAPPENED IN THE WHOLE COURSE SINCE NOVEMBER, NOR IN REAL NEGOTIATIONS!!! The whole class, teacher included, where shocked and commenting how I had ended being as abusive as him, though controling my non-verbal language -serene bodylanguage, but implying inefficiency and lack of know-how in my opponent.
Teacher said I should have been taped, as those who weren't there this morning won't believe the session.
Was supposed to meet my ex at lunchtime, and I told him about this on the phone. He laughed and pulled my leg during the whole time we were together!!! He couldn't believe it, after living together for two years and never, ever seeing me abuse anyone or loose my manners!!!
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