Unit 7 Agenda

1. Unit 7 Agenda

2. Reading A The Art of Negotiation What are the similarities and differences between negotiation and ordinary communication? • exchange of information • different purposes: (information comprehension/ to reach an agreement) • different attitudes (opposing/equal).

3. What are the similarities and differences between negotiation and debate? • In both situations, people try to persuade the counterpart. • different purposes: to reach an agreement / to convince the other party • to make compromises in negotiation

4. The dictionary meaning of “negotiation”: official discussion between the representatives of opposing groups who are trying to reach an agreement, especially in business or politics

5. Main phases of a negotiation: • Preparation • Debating • Proposal • Bargaining • Deal

6. What are the essential factors in a successful negotiation? • Full preparation: to believe in one’s own products; to know well about one’s own products and the competing ones; to know well about both parties in negotiation; to find out who makes decisions in the clients’ firm… • Harmonious relationship • Communicative tact: listening with attention, to be critical and analytical, firm stand…

7. Five basic principles in negotiation: • Be hard on problems and soft on the person. • Focus on needs, not positions. • Emphasize common ground. • Be inventive about options. • Make clear agreement.

8. Paragraph 1 - 3 • What makes a good beginning of negotiation? a good rapport / a harmonious atmosphere • They make an effort to establish a good rapport with their counterpart , so that there will be a willingness – on both sides – to make concessions, if this should prove necessary.

9. rapport: friendly agreement and understanding between people →rapport with / between He had an excellent rapport with his patients. →establish / build up / develop (a) rapport He always found he could build up a good rapport with children. • counterpart: a person or thing that has the same position or function as sb/sth else in a different place or situation

10. concession: something that you allow someone to have in order to end an argument or a disagreement →concession to a policy of no concessionsto terrorists The British were not prepared to make any concessions. →concession on his readiness to make concessions on many of the issues raised →concession from We will try to force further concessions from the government. →major/important/substantial concession The committee has won a number of major concessions from the prison authorities.

11. Paraphrasing: They make an effort to establish a good rapport with their counterpart, so that there will be a willingness – on both sides – to make concessions, if this should prove necessary. • They try to create a harmonious atmosphere between two parties in order that when concessions prove necessary, both sides are willing to do so.

12. Paragraph 4 - 6 • What does “lock themselves” mean in the first sentence of Para. 4? It means to confine oneself or to make oneself at a fixed position. • Paraphrasing: They have a range of objectives, thus allowing themselves to make concessions. range: limits between which sth. varies or extent. They have certain space of flexibility in objectives which enables them to make compromises if necessary.

13. fall back: move backward • persuasive: able to make other people believe something or do what you ask Trevor can be very persuasive. persuasive argument / evidence: a persuasive argument against capital punishment • articulate: able to talk easily and effectively about things, especially difficult subjects ≠ inarticulate a highly articulate speaker

14. Translating: The best negotiators are persuasive, articulate people, who select a few key arguments and repeat them. • 优秀的谈判人员语言清晰明白而且具有说服力，他们找准几个关键问题并不断重复。

15. tenacity: determined to do something and unwilling to stop trying even when the situation becomes difficult • Translating: Finally, it is essential to be a good listener and to check frequently that everything has been understood by both sides. (pay attention to the translation of formal subject “it”) • 最后需要强调的是，谈判人员要学会倾听他人的意见，并且还要不断考虑是不是每个问题双方都已理解，这是对谈判人员的最基本的要求。

16. Paragraph 7-16 • Translating: The less you prepare, the more you will be at a disadvantage and the less likely you will be to achieve a satisfactory outcome. • 准备得越不充分，谈判中就更容易处于不利地位，而取得满意结果的可能性就越低。 • decide on/upon sth.: to choose something or someone after thinking carefully Have you decided on a date for the wedding?

17. Remember you are looking for a win-win situation of benefit to both parties, thus paving the way for further deals in the future. • A win-win situation, solution etc is one that will end well for everyone involved in it. • A win/win approach rests on strategies involving: going back to underlying needs; recognition of individual differences; openness to adapting one’s position in the light of shared information and attitudes; attacking the problem, not the people.

18. Translating: Some general “social talk” is a good ice-breaker and bridge-builder in this respect” (pay attention to the conversion of part of speech) • be a ice-breaker and bridge-builder=to break the ice and build a bridge • 一些常见的客套话往往可以打破僵局，建立沟通。

19. constructive: useful and helpful, or likely to produce good results The meeting was very constructive. We welcome any constructive criticism. • destructive: causing damage to people or things the destructive power of modern weapons destructive to: What is good for the individual can be destructive to the family.

20. tact: the ability to be careful about what you say or do, so that you do not upset or embarrass other people →tactful, tactless With great tact, Clive persuaded her to apologize. • Translating: Be constructive not destructive --- treat your counterpart with respect, sensitivity and tact, and try to avoid an atmosphere of conflict. 要有建设性而不是破坏性。要尊重对手，处事要机警，机智，尽量避免冲突。

21. Question: What is the best approach for a negotiator? Keep your objective in mind and try to keep a clear head. • Question: Why shall we resist the temptation to introduce new arguments all the time? We shall keep some key arguments in mind and develop the negotiation around these arguments; too many arguments may distract ourselves.

22. Translating: Be prepared to make concessions and compromise, if necessary, to avoid deadlock but don’t be pushed beyond your sticking point. • deadlock: a situation in which a disagreement cannot be settled = stalemate The talks have reached a complete deadlock . Negotiations ended in deadlock. • 随时准备做出必要的让步，要避免出现僵局，但不必为此超出自己的原则。

23. Paraphrasing: There is no point complicating a difficult task with difficult language. • There is no reason to make a task more complicated by using difficult language. • interval: ①a period of time between events ②pause ,break in activity • follow-up: A follow-up is something that is done to continue or add to something done previously. They are recording a follow-up to their successful 1989 album. • clarify:to make something easier to understand

24. Reading B Agenda Composition • The secretary, especially a senior one, is always involved in many activities such as planning and facilitating meetings. The secretary is required to make all meetings effective from preliminary preparation to follow-up duties.

25. The following issues should be considered before a secretary arranges the meeting: • Why the meeting is being held --- types and purposes of the meeting; • Who will be attending --- numbers and names of attendees; • Where the meeting will be held --- venues and locations; • What will happen at the meeting --- agenda, programme, refreshments, equipment; • How much it will cost --- budgets, costs.

26. Types of meetings: • Formal meeting could be held within your organization or at an outside venue and should provide you with opportunities to meet all the performance criteria. Formal meetings are conducted in a formal manner, e.g., board meeting or shareholders’ meetings. • Informal meetings could be staff course or other meetings held frequently within your organization or in any corporation by different departments or divisions for the purpose of discussions and the resolution of business issues, attended by section leader and their staff. This type of meeting may not entail your making all the preparations or providing all the supplementary documentation.

27. Annual General Meeting (AGM) is an annual meeting of committee members when committee officers, chairman, treasurer and secretary are elected. All clubs and societies have a committee which meets regularly to arrange functions for their members. • Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) is held at times of crisis, e.g., if a takeover bid is received from another company.

28. The role of the chairperson (person in charge of a meeting): The chairperson’s main duty is to keep discussion to the point and not to allow members to introduce irrelevant information. • The role of the secretary: an assistant. • An agenda of a meeting is a program of the items of business to be discussed at a meeting in the order in which they are to be considered. Everyone invited to attend the meeting will be supplied with an agenda of the meeting so that this gives them adequate notice and enables them, prior to the meeting, to plan ahead over the items of business to be discussed.

29. Agenda for Chairperson The role of the chairperson (person in charge of a meeting): • Main duty: to keep discussion to the point and not to allow members to introduce irrelevant information. • to prevent time-wasting arguments and irrelevant discussion; to ensure the items on the agenda are taken in the proper order; to remain impartial; not to allow a discussion unless there is a motion

30. Chairperson’s agenda: • Chairperson’s agenda is different from the agenda of a meeting. • An agenda of a meeting is a program of the items of business to be discussed at a meeting in the order in which they are to be considered. • Everyone invited to attend the meeting will be supplied with an agenda of the meeting so that this gives them adequate notice and enables them, prior to the meeting, to plan ahead over the items of business to be discussed. • The right-hand side of the paper is left blank for notes and additional information.

31. Secretary: What date would you propose then? • Director: Next Monday. Eleven thirty in my office. • Secretary: That will be the third of June. You will be free until 1 o’clock in the afternoon. • Director: I want to go over May’s minutes this afternoon. Leave them on my desk, will you? Who has reports to present this time? • Secretary: Here’s May’s minutes. Mr. Lowa will give the latest financial report. Miss Hanan from the personnel department wants to report on workers’ benefits. Oh, sorry! I forgot! Mr. Howard, the General Manager, will report on our new project. • Director: Fine. Since we have enough time for a long meeting, include two or three items from our discussion list. There are so many we have to talk over. • Secretary: We certainly do. There’s a long list of items from various departments. Let me see. I think the staff housing scheme needs immediate attention. We promised a reply before July. Also, the question of a branch office in Richmond. I suggest you also include the purchase of the new computer BIX. I heard that the price would be going up next year. • Director: Yes, the housing scheme. I expect there will be no problem with that one. But with the BIX … we really have to make up our mind soon. Concerning the Richmond branch … I’m sure they will have a lot to say about that. Ok. Type up the agenda. Thank you.

32. Landgrowth Real Estate Company’s monthly meeting on Monday, 3rd July, at 11:30AM in Mr. Martin’s office Agenda 1. Minutes of previous meeting 2. Reports The latest financial report (Mr. Lowa) Report on workers’ benefits (Miss Hanan) Report on new project (Mr. Howard) 3. Discussion items Staff housing scheme Problem of the branch office in Richmond The purchase of the new computer BIX 4. Any other business

33. Simulated Writing: Minutes • Minutes of a meeting are an accurate record of discussions which took place and decisions which were reached. • The chairperson will sign the minutes as a true record, so there should be a space at the bottom of the minutes for the chairperson to sign and to insert the date. • The order of the minutes will follow the agenda order which is the order in which topics were introduced at the meeting. • The minutes are written in the third person and the past tense.

34. Name of the group meeting • Type of meeting, e.g. Annual General Meeting • Date, time and place • Name of officers --- chairperson, treasurer, secretary • Names of others attending shown in position or alphabetical order • Items which were considered in the order in which they appeared on the agenda • Any other business --- items raised which did not appear on the agenda • Date, time and place of next meeting --- if details are known

35. Minutes of formal meetings are numbered consecutively for a series of meetings. • The secretary should record each motion and resolution passed, together with the names of the proposers and seconders who support the proposals.

36. 会议记录的时态都用过去时，整理会议记录时需改变时态。会议记录的时态都用过去时，整理会议记录时需改变时态。 • 会议记录要将直接引语改成间接引语。注意，时间副词也应作相应改动，如tomorrow, yesterday, last month, next year • 会议记录要尽量具体，尽量少用抽象和概念性的词语。如“人事处的办公室”应写“the Personnel Department”或“the office of the Personnel Department”,而不要写“the office”。 • 提到某人时也尽量具体，避免仅用头衔。如“director of the Personnel Department”则不合格，应姓名头衔同时使用，同时称呼要一致。 • 避免使用褒义或贬义的形容词或副词。如Mr. Sturgess’ capable assistant read the extremely comprehensive report of the subcommittee.