Negotiation Techniques and Tactics One of the first things I did was to find common ground with the HR manager by accepting that a drug testing policy was required for the company considering the nature of the industry. A driver is responsible for the safety of passengers; therefore, the company feels like it is a necessary step of insurance. By connecting with the HR manager, I established a level of trust and mutual understanding on which further negotiation could proceed. Further, I wanted to establish the rights of the employee by indicating to the HR manager that it was inappropriate to keep the driver waiting without any information. This directly established my priorities as the Employee Assistant Program (EAP) consultant to protect and support the employee. However, in response to the HR manager’s indication that a third party should be present when confronting the employee, I explained the nature of EAP. It serves as a supporting tool to aid employees; however, any issues should be directly addressed by the manager first. This forces direct cooperation with the driver, which the manager seemed to avoid. In further discussion, I directly established my moral ground by specifying that the employee’s record was exemplary. Therefore a second chance is warranted, considering that one possibly false-positive test result does not violate company policy. This shows compassion, but relays my stern position to the opposing party, indicating that negotiation will take place. It creates a bargaining zone between my position and that of the manager, in which a compromise can be established. The manager insists that if the second result is positive, then the employee will be fired if he fails to enrol in the residential drug rehabilitation program. I showed my emotion of frustration and the unwavering opinion that such steps are unreasonable and unjust to the driver in this situation. I exemplified listening skills to understand the manager’s point of view and understood the importance of his decisions. This established a respectful relationship as the manager considered my position and offered a cheaper outpatient program. I confirmed that the program will cost much less and will allow the driver to stay with his family. This was done to determine all factors of the deal to eliminate any possibilities of manipulation or deceit and clarify possible misconceptions for the employee. Considering the limitations of the situation due to existing policies, I found that the offered deal was the best compromise in this position. Compromising is essential in negotiation as it finds the best alternative while maintaining a balance of a healthy relationship and future cooperation for all involved parties. In the end, I made sure to confirm with all involved sides that the outpatient program was the common decision in the case of the second blood test coming back positive. This serves as a chance to clear any last negotiation hurdles and becomes a guarantee that the result of the negotiations is not misunderstood. Overall, I believe that my negotiation tactics were fair, balancing my position with that of the HR manager. I used my emotional intelligence balan