按照神的方式進行談判
2025年6月2日By Rick Boxx
按照神的方式進行談判
NEGOTIATING AGREEMENTS GOD’S WAY
商業談判有很大的機率，可能會變成讓人充滿壓力的經驗。為了幫助減少這種張力，我學習到了五項如何進行最佳談判的指導原則。第一項原則是：清楚定義你期望從交易中取得的結果。最近，羅德需要聘請新的攝影師。他檢視了自己的預算，並且定下了他所能負擔的最高價格。雖然他偏好的新供應商報出了更高的價格，由於羅德事先進行的研究，使他能夠與對方議價並達成互惠的交易。
有一天，宗教領袖問耶穌最要緊的誡命是什麼。耶穌回答說：「其次就是說：『要愛人如己。……』」(馬可福音12章31節)研究並了解對自己公平的結果，是一種愛自己的方式，這樣你才能也好好地愛別人。
第二項原則是：避免與你無法信任的人談判。我之前銀行的客戶，代表該公司的人是位非常善於操弄的財務長。這名財務長會利用他與其他銀行的關係，來迫使我們給予他更好的交易條件。我們原本同意要提供更優惠的價格，直到我發現這位財務長一直在對我撒謊。當我意識到我無法信任他時，我拒絕繼續針對我們的條款進行談判。如果可以由我決定，我甚至會終止雙方合作關係。箴言12章22節教導說：「說謊言的嘴為耶和華所憎惡；行事誠實的，為他所喜悅。」如果你無法信任某人，任何協議之後都很可能變得毫無意義。
第三項原則是：理解對方的需求和顧慮。舊約聖經中，波阿斯努力要娶回拿俄米的兒媳路得的故事，就是精明談判的範例。基於猶太律法，有另一個人擁有最優先的權利，可以贖回拿俄米的土地並娶回路得。波阿斯斟酌了當時的情況，以及對那位潛在贖回者的影響。他藉由強調負面的影響來引出這個話題。那位潛在的贖回者拒絕行使權利，讓波阿斯得以娶回路得。箴言3章13節教導說：「得智慧，得聰明的，這人便為有福。」透過了解與認識對方的需求，你很可能會得到有利的結果。
第四項原則是：始終致力於達成互惠互利的「雙贏」協議。史丹是我的銀行客戶，他認為自己需要在每一次的談判中，每一項都要贏，讓銀行成為輸家，而他代表的企業成為贏家。史丹偶爾會取勝，但是這對於要建立起可以產生豐盛成效的長期關係來說，並不是個好兆頭。我開始害怕與史丹談判；為避免挫折，我反而沒有像本來那樣慷慨。腓立比書2章3-4節中，使徒保羅寫道：「……只要存心謙卑，各人看別人比自己強。各人不要單顧自己的事，也要顧別人的事。」神更希望我們專注於雙贏的解決方案，而不是忽略對方的需求。
最後一項原則是：盡可能慷慨。聖經記載約瑟的故事中，埃及遭遇了七年的饑荒。為了購買食物，所有埃及人都把土地賣給了法老。然而，埃及國王需要他們去耕種土地，因此約瑟設計了雙贏的佃農機制。
我們在創世記47章24節讀到，約瑟對埃及人說：「後來打糧食的時候，你們要把五分之一納給法老，四分可以歸你們做地裏的種子，也做你們和你們家口孩童的食物。」透過只為法老徵收百分之二十的糧食，約瑟贏得了埃及人的愛戴，並且提供他們為自己以及法老創造財富的機會。
@2025版權所有，經許可改編自"UBN誠信時刻"，關於職場工作中信仰議題的評論。UBN（非常規企業聯盟）是一個服務小型企業界的國際性職場信仰事工。
反省與問題討論
第一、你即將要進行談判時，無論是與客戶、主管還是員工，你通常會有什麼感覺呢？你會覺得有壓力嗎？請解釋你的答案。
第二、你在進行談判時，是否通常很清楚自己所期望的結果呢？還是你抱持的心態只是，希望得到某種可接受的解決方案呢？請解釋你的答案。
第三、你對於要在談判中，努力達成「雙贏」並互惠互利的協議，有什麼看法呢？
第四、最後一項建議的談判原則是盡可能慷慨。根據你的理解，這意味著什麼呢？嘗試這麼做時，可能會遇到哪些潛在的問題或挑戰呢？
挑戰思考
在接下來的一週裡，請試著回想你過去參與談判的經歷。你當時有多符合，本週的週一嗎哪所提出的五項談判原則呢？你是否努力追求互惠互利的雙贏結果，還是你的目標只是要最大化自身的利益呢？如果你覺得有效談判對你來說是個挑戰，向朋友、導師，或是你可以坦誠討論想法與顧慮的分會尋求回饋，可能會有所幫助。
備註：如果你有聖經，想閱讀更多相關的內容，請參考以下的經文:
箴言12章19節
12:19 口吐真言，永遠堅立；舌說謊話，只存片時。
箴言16章11節
16:11 公道的天平和秤都屬耶和華；囊中一切法碼都為他所定。
羅馬書12章10節
12:10 愛弟兄，要彼此親熱；恭敬人，要彼此推讓。
加拉太書5章26節
5:26 不要貪圖虛名，彼此惹氣，互相嫉妒。
雅各書4章6節
4:6 但他賜更多的恩典，所以經上說：神阻擋驕傲的人，賜恩給謙卑的人。
彼得前書5章5節
5:5 你們年幼的，也要順服年長的。就是你們眾人也都要以謙卑束腰，彼此順服；因為神阻擋驕傲的人，賜恩給謙卑的人。
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NEGOTIATING AGREEMENTS GOD’S WAY
MONDAY MANNAJun 2, 2025
NEGOTIATING AGREEMENTS GOD’S WAY
By Rick Boxx
Business negotiations are fraught with opportunities to turn into stressful experiences. To help in reducing this tension, I have learned five guiding principles on how best to negotiate agreements. The first principle is: Clearly define your desired outcome from the transaction. Recently, Rod needed to hire a new videographer. He examined his budget and considered the maximum value he could afford to pay. Even though his preferred new vendor quoted a higher price, because of Rod’s research, he was able to counter the price and strike a mutually beneficial deal.
One day religious leaders asked Jesus about the greatest commandments. Jesus responded, “The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). Researching and knowing a fair outcome for yourself is a way of loving yourself, so that you can also love others well.
The second principle is: Avoid negotiating with those you cannot trust. A previous bank customer of mine was represented by a chief financial officer who was very manipulative. This CFO would use his other bank relationships to pressure us to give him a better deal. We agreed to better pricing until I learned that the CFO had been lying to me. When I realized I could not trust him, I refused to negotiate our terms any longer. If it had been up to me, I would have terminated the relationship. Proverbs 12:22 teaches, “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.” If you cannot trust someone, any agreement will likely become meaningless later.
The third principle is: Understand the other parties’ needs and concerns. In the Bible’s Old Testament, the story of Boaz’s pursuit to marry Naomi’s daughter-in-law, Ruth, is an example of shrewd negotiating. Because of Jewish law, one person had first rights to redeem Naomi’s land and marry Ruth. Boaz considered the situation and the impact on the other potential redeemer. He introduced the subject by highlighting that negative impact. The potential redeemer declined, enabling Boaz to marry Ruth. Proverbs 13:3 teaches, “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding.” By gaining understanding and knowledge of the other party’s needs, you likely will have a favorable outcome.
The fourth principle is: Always work toward a mutually beneficial, “win/win” agreement. Stan was a bank customer who believed he always needed to win all points of every negotiation, making the bank the loser and his business the winner. Stan won occasional battles, but that did not bode well for a fruitful long-term relationship. I began dreading negotiations with Stan; out of frustration, I was not as generous as I could have been. In Philippians 2:3, the apostle Paul wrote, “In humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” God prefers that we focus on win/win solutions rather than ignoring the needs of the other party.
The final principle is: Lean toward being generous. In the biblical story of Joseph, Egypt had seven years of famine. To afford to buy food, all Egyptians sold their land to Pharoah. The Egyptian king, however, needed them to farm the land, so Joseph worked out a win/win sharecropping arrangement.
We see in Genesis 47:24 that Joseph told the Egyptians, “But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.” By only requiring 20 percent for Pharoah, Joseph received favor from the Egyptians and provided them the opportunity to create wealth both for themselves and for Pharoah.
© 2025, Unconventional Business Network. Adapted with permission from “UBN Integrity Moments”, a commentary on faith at work issues. Visit www.unconventionalbusiness.org. UBN is a faith at work ministry serving the international small business community.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
1. How do you typically feel when you are about to engage in negotiations, whether with a client, your supervisor, or an employee? Do you find it stressful? Why or why not?
2. When you are negotiating, do you usually know your desired outcome – or do you just go into it hoping for some kind of acceptable resolution? Explain your answer.
3. What are your thoughts about striving to arrive at a “win/win,” mutually beneficial agreement when engaging in negotiations?
4.The final recommended principle for negotiating agreements is to lean toward being generous. As you understand it, what does that mean? What are some potential problems or challenges in trying to do this?
Challenge for This Week
During the coming week, try to think back on times when you have engaged in negotiations. How well did you align with the five negotiating principles presented in this week’s Monday Manna? Did you strive for a mutually beneficial, win/win outcome – or was your goal only to maximize your own interests.
If negotiating effectively seems to be a challenge for you, it might help to seek feedback from a friend, mentor, or small group in which you can discuss your thoughts and concerns candidly.
NOTE:
For more about what the Bible says, consider the following passages:
Proverbs 12:19, 16:11; Romans 12:10; Galatians 5:26; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5
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