Strategic Planning & Execution Flashcards

During strategic conflict planning, a BATNA is best described as:

Answer: The most favorable alternative if current talks fail

BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement) defines your strongest option if the current negotiation does not produce an agreement.

Which strategic framework helps conflict managers map stakeholder interests against their levels of influence?

Answer: Power-interest grid

A power-interest grid plots stakeholders by how much power they hold and how interested they are in the outcome, guiding engagement strategy.

A conflict manager sets a 'reservation point' before entering talks. This represents:

Answer: The minimum acceptable outcome below which no deal is preferred

A reservation point (walk-away point) is the least favorable terms a party will accept before preferring their BATNA.

In executing a conflict resolution strategy, 'sequencing' refers to:

Answer: Ordering agenda items and interventions to build momentum toward resolution

Sequencing involves deliberately ordering issues and process steps so that early successes create goodwill and momentum for harder topics.

Which tactic would MOST undermine a well-crafted strategic conflict plan?

Answer: Rigidly following the original plan despite changed circumstances

Rigid adherence to an original plan when conditions have changed prevents adaptive responses and can derail resolution efforts.

A Zone of Possible Agreement (ZOPA) exists when:

Answer: The range between each party's reservation points overlaps

ZOPA is the overlap between the highest a buyer will pay and the lowest a seller will accept, or more broadly between each side's walk-away points.

When a conflict manager conducts a 'conflict audit' in the planning phase, the primary goal is to:

Answer: Assess the nature, scope, and root causes of the conflict systematically

A conflict audit systematically gathers and analyzes data about the conflict's history, parties, issues, and context to inform strategy.