Negotiating skill

Think back to the last time you were blindsided by an unexpected motivator. What was it? The art of successful win-win negotiations will certainly help to Swim with the sharks without being eaten alive. Few thoughts below.

Typical tangible motivators:
1. Fiscal impacts (Enterprise & for their own or department)
2. Workload/Overtime/training/vacation impact
3. Contractual/Organizational issues, etc.

Less Tangible:
1. Desire to be heard and have their needs acknowledged
2. Desire to save face/look good in the eyes of others
3. Resistance to change (fear of unknown/untried)
4. Desire to satisfy their own or bosses hidden agenda
5. Biases, dislikes, ethnic customs, political alliances, etc
6. Emotional (and why should they trust you?)

How to practice win-win negotiations?
1.Establish rapport and common goals
2.Probe for understanding of beliefs, goals, win-win options, and hidden stakeholder motivators
3.Paraphrase for confirmation/affirmation
4.Analyse outcomes and risks
5.Summarize what was agreed on, and next steps (even if these are only “baby steps”)

From Business Week, I found the below article quite intriguing. Indeed, while women now represent more than 47% of full-time executives and managers, their wages continue to lag far behind. College-educated women still earn only 72% as much as their male counterparts -- a gap of 28¢ on the dollar, according to the American Association of University Women. More>

Negotiation tips:
>Show enthusiasm.
>Know what you want.
>Avoid showing your hand.
>Show why you are the best fit.
>Wait until they really want you.
>Be on the lookout at all times.
>Network, network, and network.
>Want a raise.