The holidays are the best time of the year. They can mean a break from our mundane life that revolves around a 9-5 job and a chance to simply meet old friends and family or go on a bucket list trip. Who wouldn't love the holiday season? However, it is completely possible that the holidays no longer hold the same importance they used to before for many of you.
There can be several reasons for it – you may be too burned from daily life to plan a holiday or don't know how to plan one. In either case, I bring you some tips from negotiation experts that have reinvigorated my holidays from lackluster ones to memorable ones recently. I'm sure some of the tips can help, so check them out below.
Tips from Negotiation Experts for a Happy Holiday
One of the things I've learned from negotiation over the years is that negotiation skills are not limited to fulfilling your family's needs. You can even use negotiations to add more happiness to your family life.
Avoid the Win-Lose Scenarios
Often, people cannot have a happy holiday because they are unable to deal with a win-lose scenario. For example, your spouse must be wanting to go on a beach vacation while you want to visit the families. To avoid falling prey to such issues and ending up with a ruined holiday, focus on the next tip, i.e., win-win scenarios.
Look for the Win-Win Scenarios
Now, you may have some plans for the holidays while the other members of your family may have different ideas. Conflicts are a key reason why your holidays may not be memorable or just forgettable recently. After all, everyone wants their plans achieved for a holiday, right. But then it is just not possible. But negotiation experts say it is (over an extended time, of course). Just strike a deal where every plan and idea is heard over multi-holiday events to come. It is why experts suggest looking for win-win scenarios in negotiation for a happy holiday. However, here is the problem? Most are not sure about how to carry out a win-win situation. Hence, allow me to share a few tips that have worked for me. It can further help you to improve your negotiation skills.
Focus on the Trade-Offs
Trade-offs are a great tactic to deal with a negotiation successfully. They can also help to crack a career-changing business deal with a client. They even help in sorting out the usual complications that occur in the family right before the holidays. For a better understanding, here is an example demonstrating how trade-offs can work.
Consider your spouse wants a beach vacation. Your kids wish to see their grandparents. And then there is you who simply wants to stay home and rest while inviting family and friends over a weekend dinner party. If either of you stays adamant about getting your way, then it is likely that the holiday planning will end up in a big argument. The kids will be sent packing to their rooms while you and your spouse continue the argument. The entire saga can possibly ruin your holiday mood and time. Even worse, it can cause strains in your relationship. Therefore, it is a must that you take the approach of trade-offs to negotiate the whole matter comfortably.
Step 1: Ensure Everyone is Heard
The first thing you must do to ensure you have a happy holiday is to listen to everyone. Let everyone share how they want to spend their holidays, including kids. After you have heard every opinion on spending a happy holiday, move on to the next step.
Step 2: Evaluate All the Opinions
Now that you have heard everyone's opinion, you must automatically start evaluating them all. Also, you may get inclined to prioritize the opinion based on whose opinion it is. Do your best to avoid doing it, as it can lead to fresh issues and unwanted development. Instead, consider things logically. See which is the most viable of them all. For example, between a beach vacation to spending time at home to visiting the grandparents, you can tcompromise and invite the grandparents to the beach location.
In this way, not only can your spouse get to spend some time at the beach, but the kids can have fun with their grandparents. Meanwhile, you can choose to either rest at the hotel or just near the beach where your family is having a great time. Isn't this a win-win situation? Of course, it is. However, if this is not possible, move on to the next and final step.
Step 3: Finalize the Holiday Over Multi-Years
Understandably, it is not easy to bring everyone and everything under the same rooftop whenever you want. In such a situation, you can decide the holidays over the years. For example, you can decide to go with one person who chooses to spend the current holiday but on a specific condition. Tell them that we will spend the current holiday as per your wish. Next year you have to spend it as per other's wish in the family. In this way, you have a blueprint ready for multiple holidays over the years. More importantly, you barely have to break a sweat to accomplish it. Hence, learn about negotiating in tough situations to spend a happy holiday.
Shellye is committed to helping people from diverse backgrounds to achieve their aspirations in careers and life. The content published above was made in collaboration with our members.
Shellye Archambeau is determined to help you with all possible strategies to climb the ladder of success. She values your feedback. Do mention them in the comment section below.