Introduction
Among the many challenges I have had as the business technology landscape changes, I have leveraged a virtual reality (VR) simulation to help me develop my integrative negotiation abilities, a competency becoming increasingly valuable in the digital era. The VR demonstration of the VR environment confirms that soft skills are invaluable elements of any job skill set. As Robles (2012) noted, being skilled in communicating and negotiating plays a leading role, despite these abilities going together with the technical competencies. Firstly, as Ms Balliu and Mr Spahiu (2021) indicate, preparations are vital to stress the crucial prerequisite before negotiations can lead to success.
Fisher, Ury, and Patton’s (2011) ‘Getting to Yes’ principles were significant to me during the simulation. They taught me about problem-solving and how collaboration between parties entails reaching a mutual ‘winning’ situation, as Thompson’s (2015) integrative approach advocates. VR allowed me to practice to incorporate the brilliance of the Malhotra and Bazerman (2007) winning strategies in negotiation. This was achieved by mixing the contextual practice in VR with theory. Curbing the notion of negotiation solely as an outcome or a win-lose approach, Menkel-Meadow (2020) emphasizes the intricacy of the problem-solving process through the negotiation of the issue. Having been informed by what Stahl et al. presented in their article about cultural intricacies that influence the relations between parties in the global business, I am sure I can fulfil both the logical and cultural values in my dealings.
Soft Skills and Workplace Requirements
On the intersection of technological expertise and the ability to get along with people, the persona of soft skills becomes the most outstanding feature among MBA graduates. They are even more critical during negotiation, where decision-making challenges and strategic influence jointly affect the influential leverage of communication and leadership (Robles, 2012). Bridging the gap in global business is only possible if it becomes imperative to master cross-cultural competence, making the skills above necessary (Stahl et al., 2010).
The figures that arise from negotiation surpass the mere agreement – it is the art of blending value creation with the development of long-lasting relations (Menkel-Meadow, 2020). Consistent with that, pre-negotiation activities, which include more detailed research and plans, are crucial steps toward effective interaction and are crucial parts of an average negotiator’s work package (Balliu & Spahiu, 2021).
Some of the essential ideas in the VR simulation I attended were condensed in unison to give me a computerized setting that mimicked the underlying fundamentals of an actual business negotiation. Although achieving a peace deal at the negotiation table with the government was my foremost objective, this experience still proved Fisher, Ury, and Patton’s (2011) idea of integrative negotiation wherein both parties should work together for mutual gains rather than competition. Although it was similar to Thompson’s (2015) notion about synchronization between the heart and the mind during the negotiation process, it was also a powerful lesson for the students.
However, to become a successful MBA graduate, advanced skills are not a choice; they are mandatory (Malhotra & Bazerman, 2007). Communication effectiveness and ability to handle integrative scenarios that the VR showcased confirmed this prerequisite. Proper communication and integrative negotiations are critical managerial skills in technological and business innovation became evident.
Reflection on Integrative Negotiation Skills
The VR simulation in negotiation is a form of intensive involvement that supported me in integrating my negotiation literacy quantity with many challenges, such as the tactics that would exist in real life. Concerned with managing a sceptic Chief People Officer (CPO) and obtaining his consent to a new HR software system, I leveraged integrative negotiation techniques developed by Fisher, Ury, and Patton (2011), which were marketed more to BATNAs than to positions.
Active listening was my most critical skill, allowing me to understand both explicit and implicit aspects of the CPO’s concerns to be identified (Fisher et al., 2011). With this recognition, the agreements that these efforts came about talked more about the core problems at hand, thereby adding empathy (robles, 2012). The empathy was considering the complex negotiations. My proposal of ‘enlarging the pie’ tactics designed to achieve more value by utilizing an integrative negotiation approach focusing on mutual profits (Malhotra & Bazerman, 2000) manifests itself in this way.
On the other hand, I found that now and then, the simulated exercise revealed some shortcomings, but the most glaring was the balancing of my campaign for the position I am advocating for and the effort of forging a collaborative environment (Thompson, 2015). The exacerbated emotional intensity of the virtual task highlighted [how] crucial emotional intelligence is (Menkel-Meadow, 2020) by driving home the critical role played in interaction in any negotiation.
The Virtual Reality negotiation simulation experience brought home to me that good planning, sympathy and creative thinking are the basis of negotiation (Or Balliu & Spahiu, 2021). It taught me the importance of finding the golden mean between firmness and benevolence, underlining the indissoluble bond between forcing your views on somebody and all the team’s ideas being delivered in a distinctive way.
Analysis and Application to Literature
My involvement in the VR simulation negotiations conforms to the provisions of the theory of integrative negotiation wh, which involves the actions of Fisher, Ury and Patton (2011). Their predominant power in the distance between them and the problem combined with the approach that the interests are necessary always is the reason, through my conversation with the virtual Chief People Officer (CPO), I have put all my attention in bridging the gap between the two parties and building trust by addressing the core issues (Fisher et al., 2011).
Nevertheless, in these diversions, I fiddled with two vital missions: ensuring that my organization’s interests were being upheld and placing myself in line with the CPO’s plans. In that sense, I tried to get a better deal for myself, contradicting the idea of a collaborative approach aiming to create a win-win situation rather than relying on positional bargaining, as Malhotra and Bazerman (2007) mention.
The simulation’s feedback mechanism illuminated what I could not understand properly: even though I believed that I was creating value, the CPO did not really agree with my ideas. It is clear that multiple options are the cornerstone of the negotiation process; however, that is a principle I could only sometimes practice in every situation (Menkel-Meadow, 2020).
It became evident that one must work hard to bypass this arrangement. Considering defacto extensive preparatory activities mentioned by Balliu and Spahiu (2021), a grasp of primary objectives that can later be argued to frame negotiation outcomes (as indicated by Malhotra & Bazerman, 2007) has become crucial.
Based on my readings on Ury and Fisher (2011), Malhotra and Bazerman (2007), Menkle-Meadow (2020), and Balliu and Spahiu (2021), I have concluded that when it comes to this aspect of my life, I am on my way to being more organized, as the values acquired from both the theory and the practical.
Future Directions
The VR (virtual reality) simulation has improved my negotiation skills, offering me a protected area for testing and implementing various strategies with instant feedback. (Malhotra & Bazerman, 2007) This sentence reiterates the importance of preparation and having executive communication skills to complete negotiations satisfactorily. Charity workers also need to possess critical skills of integrative solutions and problem-solving that help them thrive in real-life negotiation scenarios.
Finally, reconciling the simulation environment to the practical negotiation space will be my central pledge in the future. Continuous learning via workshops, role-playing, and participation in mentorship will help me effectively develop my ability to adapt and emotional intelligence (Torrance, 1995). This activity has been pedagogical and allowed me to show my weaknesses, which I have to work on, especially when balancing assertiveness and empathy (Robles, 2012).
The excursion into what I learnt in my MBA concludes that soft skills encompassing communication and negotiation (Stahl et al. (2010); Menkel-Meadow (2020)) are also crucial for graduates. My practical knowledge has strengthened my desire to use the combined elements of both ethical perception and innovative tactics, which are, from now on, vital for the increment of leaders that are effective and rising within the system in the business era.
Conclusion
The VR simulator was my friend; it realized the fact that soft skills such as proper communication, negotiations, and problem-solving, to mention but just a few, are the able backbone to have an effective business leader, not only tagged as accolades to an MBA profile Consequently, I did not only disclosed the importance of those kinds of strategies for ethic and innovative management but also I recognized that every manager in modern business needs to have the competence of those integrative negotiation skills. The program was meant to show that once you graduate, you will have hands-on knowledge of both theoretical and practical identical sides that will require soft and technical skills. In a dynamically changing business world, I am determined to intertwine these skills, and I am looking forward to further growth of effective leadership, which is also both sustainable and ethically based and leads the way for the successful negotiation of challenges.
References
Balliu, T., & Spahiu, A. (2021). Pre-negotiation activities: a study of the main activities the negotiators undertake in preparation for negotiation.
Fisher, R., Ury, W., & Patton, B. (2011). Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. Penguin Books.
Malhotra, D., & Bazerman, M. H. (2007). Negotiation Genius. Bantam Books.
Menkel-Meadow, C. (2020). Negotiation: Processes for Problem-Solving. Aspen Publishers.
Robles, M. M. (2012). Executive perceptions of the top 10 soft skills needed in today’s workplace. Business Communication Quarterly, 75(4), 453–465.
Stahl, G. K., Miska, C., Lee, H. J., & Sully de Luque, M. F. (2010). The upside of cultural differences: Towards a more balanced treatment of culture in cross-cultural management research. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal.
Thompson, L. (2015). The Mind and Heart of the Negotiator. Prentice Hall.
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