Building Coalitions Group Presentation
PURPOSE
The purpose of this assignment is for you to demonstrate how to build effective coalitions in the negotiation process. Also, you will evaluate what their agenda will be, whose support you will need, and how you will get the key players on board – especially if they are from competing groups. This is a group assignment.
PREPARATION
Read the article: Building Coalitions | Harvard Business Publishing Education (Links to an external site.)
SCENARIO
This scenario has some real life examples that you should research in addition to research on building coalitions.
Representatives of wind-energy developers started knocking on the doors of Wyoming ranchers. They are seeking to persuade the ranchers to sell the rights to build wind turbines on their land, reporter Addie Goss recounted on National Public Radio. Typically, the developers build wind farms by leasing large blocks of land from many different landowners in western states. In Wyoming, ranchers began signing leases without knowing the true value of the wind sweeping across their land.
DIRECTIONS
Assume your group is a small group of ranchers who realize ranchers in Wyoming are not being fairly compensated. You have decided to build a larger coalition to convince the other ranchers to join this effort to negotiate higher payments and reduced risks. Your initial group is responsible for developing a presentation to raise the issues and get ranchers to join.
Be sure your presentation addresses the following questions and considerations:
1. How would a coalition benefit the ranchers in their negotiations with the developers?
2. Do you need a majority of the ranchers to join for the coalition to be effective? Why? Do you see any disadvantages with the size of the coalition?
3. Explain to the ranchers how you plan to identify your allies and opponents.
4. Explain how you would apply Block’s Trust/Agreement Matrix with building the coalition. How would you handle the adversaries and opponents if needed for the coalition?
5. Summarize how you plan to bring together the various groups (as noted in Blocks’ Matrix) to support the agenda and negotiation positions.
