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Table 14-3 lists out questions to ask during negotiations, and what said types of questions aim to achieve. For example, if a person were to ask a closed ended question, they may be attempting to get someone to commit to something (Veltsos & Hynes, 2021, p. 380). Table 14-4 indicates the advantages and disadvantages of negotiating online. One example of an advantage of negotiating online is that "more quality information might be exchanged because negotiators have time to formulate responses" (Veltsos & Hynes, 2021, p. 383). However, it is important to keep in mind that not every negotiation is going to be the same, and depending on what someone is trying to achieve, it is important to be mindful of how one approaches it.

In my own personal experience, I have had to negotiate with my boss on how we were going to reassign some of the staff. In my job, I manage numerous paralegals and secretaries who aid attorneys that they are assigned to. My boss and I are the ones who make the decision on who to assign where. Recently, I had a situation come up where we needed to rearrange who we had assigned to who because one of the attorneys had an epic temper tantrum because they did not want to work with the person they were assigned to. (For clarification: the attorney was brand new, assigned to a paralegal who was still learning because the attorney she was previously assigned to did most of his work himself. The new attorney did not like this and had a fit about it.)

My boss wanted to assign the paralegal, Jessica, to work with the attorney Joann. However, at first, I was against it. The conversation went like this:

Boss: How about we put Jessica with Joann?

Me: No, I really don't like that idea. Remember when John started and he had a problem with the paralegals he was assigned to, and even with me, because of how he spoke to people? He came from private practice, much like Joann. Joann is behaving just like John did when he started.

Boss: So, what are you thinking?

Me: Why don't we put Danielle with Joann? Danielle comes from private practice, and thus would be used to the communication style, and she only has one attorney and therefore needs more work, anyhow. We've been needing to give her more work as all paralegals are supposed to have two attorneys.

Boss: That could work. But I was thinking of Jessica because I know that she won't put up with Joann's nonsense and will stand firm on her boundaries.

Me: I think Danielle is a good option. But I agree with your reasoning to give her Jessica. And Jessica did an internship in a private practice, so she has had some exposure. Plus, I trust Jessica more than Danielle to report if there are problems that arise, and we know that Joann may stir up more problems. Okay, how about we do Jessica to Joann and Mindy, and Danielle gets Bridget and her current attorney?

Boss: Yes, I think that would work really well.

So, at the end of the day, while my boss got what she thought was best, and basically allowed me to talk myself into it, I was able to negotiate because she was originally wanting Jessica to keep Bridget, Mindy and take on Joann and that was unreasonable and far too much work for one person based on caseload sizes.

In this instance, technology played very little of a role, as my boss and I were sitting together in her office, but we had her computer pulled up to have the organizational chart in front of us to better be able to see who was assigned to who. To prepare for this conversation, my boss had warned me to bring my "good attitude and patience" because she knew it was a conversation that I was not looking forward to having. She also knows that I can be a bit hot tempered and a bit quick to say something I may regret. (Luckily for me, she's an amazing boss, knows me, and is willing to overlook the occasional hot-headed comment from me, because I at least tend to keep it private between her and I instead of in front of everyone as some people have done.)