Negotiations can happen anywhere and at any time. Though we can often turn to big stories of international diplomacy or record-breaking business deals, there are plenty of examples of negotiation we can pull from here in Ireland. Examining the deals that have been made in the past can really help us understand how negotiation skills can be implemented in reality.
People have been making deals and bargaining for better positions since the dawn of time, but you don't have to look too far back to find some great examples of successful negotiations to give you some inspiration. Let's take a closer look at four examples of the negotiation process you can learn from if you wish to improve your skills and aim for a better deal.
Formally and officially known as the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, this agreement established Ireland as a self-governing dominion under the British crown, creating the Irish Free State. Negotiations to answer the "Irish Question," as it was often referred to, began on the 11th of October 1921, with representatives of the British government and Sinn Féin meeting in London to discuss clauses.
Though meetings were initially conducted formally, negotiators began to meet informally. Arthur Griffith, delegation chairman of the Irish party, and Michael Collins always represented Irish interests, while Austen Chamberlain always attended from the British side, the second negotiator changing with every meeting. It soon became that a fully unified Irish republic of 32 counties was not on the table and that Ireland would, in some way, be divided. This was not one of the aims of the Treaty. The Parliament of Northern Ireland was given the option to join the new Free State or stay as a devolved member of the United Kingdom; they opted for the latter. The final Treaty consisted of 18 Articles and an Annex and is available to view online.
The Treaty was signed a little after 2 AM on the 6th of December 1921, in the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street. It then took effect exactly a year later on the 6th of December 1922. Not only is this one of the most significant treaties in the history of modern Ireland, but the negotiation at its heart has important lessons for us to learn. Looking at the practices and strategies of both sides can teach us the power in dropping from formal to informal proceedings, and how the push and pull of compromise can be used to drive towards a conclusion.
The Good Friday Agreement, otherwise referred to as the Belfast Agreement, is a pair of agreements that ended the Troubles in Northern Ireland and contributed greatly to the Northern Ireland peace process of the 1990s.
This was not the first time that attempts to end the conflict in Northern Ireland had been made. Eight political groupings were given voices in discussions alongside the governments, and talks were chaired by US special envoy George J. Mitchell. Talks and negotiations took almost two years to conclude. They first started on the 10th of June 1996, and negotiations were intense as all parties involved attempted to find common ground.
The first was a Multi-Party Agreement between Northern Ireland's political parties, and the second was the British-Irish Agreement between the governments of the UK and Ireland.
The agreement was signed on the 10th of April 1998, the Good Friday of that year, after nearly 700 days of negotiation. It later came into force on the 2nd of December 1999 after a referendum in both Northern and the Republic of Ireland so the people of the island could agree to the deal. Studying this deal can highlight the importance of third-party mediation. Without the efforts of George Mitchell and other mediators and observers, talks may have broken down as they have in the past.
Dunnes Stores is one of the largest local retailers in Ireland, employing over 18,000 people across 138 stores in 3 countries. Many of the retail staff who work there are members of the trade unions Mandate and Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU). These unions often campaign for better workers' rights and notably did so in 2015 when they called for a one-day national strike.
On the 2nd of April, more than 5,000 staff walked out. Through the unions, they were seeking fair levels of pay, banded hours contracts, a review of excessive use of temporary employment contracts, and individual and collective representation rights in the company.
Dunnes maintained a position that they had adopted previously; that they would not be negotiating with unions. This lack of approach to conflict resolution and dismissal of business negotiations was criticised by many, including government ministers and then-Prime Minister Enda Kenny. However, this industrial action helped to contribute to the later passing of the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017 in the Dáil.
Though few negotiations took place between Dunnes and the unions, it does show that there may still be routes to success when negotiation strategies fail. Sometimes external factors need to apply their own pressures in order for the other party to see value in what you are offering or asking for.
The UK's decision to withdraw from the European Union in 2016 caused long-lasting issues, as the former's only land border is the one between Northern and the Republic of Ireland. None of the governments involved nor the European Union wanted a hard border along this point; the creation of a controlled border with passport controls and immigration and customs checks.
However, the major issue here is that one of the clauses of the Good Friday Agreement was that there would be no border between the Republic and Northern Ireland. After the UK's then-Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 of the EU Treaty, the negotiations of the withdrawal agreement could begin.
Much of the issue came from the proposal of a backstop that would keep Northern Ireland as a temporary member of the EU Single Market. Multiple British politicians and Northern Irish unionists were critical of the backstop, claiming it would weaken the UK's sovereignty. May's successor Boris Johnson renegotiated with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker on a new Withdrawal Agreement. This maintains the open border on the island of Ireland and instead places one in the Irish Sea between the islands of Ireland and the UK.
This was an important negotiation as it showed us the importance of how a previous deal (the Good Friday Agreement) could go on to be an important factor in subsequent negotiations. This negotiation highlights the importance of thorough preparation. Understanding past agreements, mapping out alternative solutions, and anticipating objections are all crucial to achieving a successful outcome.
Why should we look at real negotiated agreements and the methods taken to get there? Simply because they are not hypothetical scenarios; they are real examples of relationship building, good negotiation skills, and creative solutions that people have all tried as they attempt to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. Ireland is the nation we know today partly because of its people's ability to negotiate and reach conclusions for the better of all.
Negotiation is an important skill that we all need to master, but few do. Whether you're negotiating high-stakes business deals or trying to navigate internal workplace disputes, understanding real-world negotiation strategies can help you achieve better outcomes. Negotiation training from Scotwork helps all of us tackle the art of negotiation in the way that suits us best. Whether you know your strengths and weaknesses and how they have affected you before, or you are heading into future negotiations blind and you want some advice and strategies beforehand, we can help you improve your skills.
Get in touch with us today to find out more about our negotiation courses in Greater Dublin and beyond.
