Conflict Resolution & Negotiation Flashcards

What is the key distinction between a 'position' and an 'interest' in interest-based negotiation?

Answer: A position is what you want; an interest is why you want it

Positions are stated demands while interests are the underlying needs, goals, or concerns that motivate those demands.

A capture team's pricing and technical leads have conflicting views on which solution approach to propose. The conflict has stalled the review cycle. Which escalation path is MOST appropriate?

Answer: Convene a structured capture gate review with a designated decision-maker empowered to resolve the impasse

A gate review with an empowered decision-maker provides a structured, time-boxed resolution process aligned with the capture management process.

Which conflict resolution style is MOST appropriate when an issue is trivial and preserving the relationship is far more important than the outcome?

Answer: Accommodating

Accommodating is appropriate when the issue is minor and maintaining goodwill with the other party outweighs the benefit of achieving your preferred outcome.

During a source selection protest period, the capture manager learns that a competitor protested the award your firm won. What is the capture manager's primary responsibility?

Answer: Coordinate with legal counsel and prepare documentation supporting the award while awaiting GAO resolution

The capture manager must support legal counsel with documentation and comply with any automatic stay while the protest is resolved through proper channels.

In multi-party teaming negotiations, what is the primary danger of forming a coalition with some partners against others?

Answer: It creates adversarial dynamics that can fracture the team during contract performance

Coalition-forming within a team creates winners and losers internally, generating resentment that can undermine cooperation during contract execution.

A customer's program office and its contracting office have conflicting requirements that create scope ambiguity in the solicitation. The capture manager should:

Answer: Submit questions via the official RFP Q&A process to obtain a formal, reconciled government response

The official Q&A process produces binding clarifications that resolve ambiguity and protect the offeror from later disputes over requirements interpretation.

Which psychological bias causes negotiators to over-weight information presented first and insufficiently adjust away from it, weakening their objective assessment?

Answer: Anchoring bias

Anchoring bias causes people to rely too heavily on the first number or piece of information encountered, making it difficult to adjust sufficiently toward objective value.