Today’s episode is a road rambling sharing some of the points I presented to an audience of Executive Assistants at a conference in Sydney run by Intrepid Minds. The topic was negotiating skills and strategies. 

It’s common for people to think about negotiation as it applies to the job hunt process. Negotiating salary and benefits or alternatively negotiating salary increases or role changes with your employer. 

We also negotiate with co workers and peers about the distribution of tasks, due dates, deadlines, needing something from someone else so we can get something done…this takes communication skills and an ability to negotiate and engage in crucial conversations.

In this episode I share the thinking and research of Margaret Neale from Stanford University who encourages us to think about negotiation as a process and that the goal is not to get a deal, it’s to get a good deal. 

• Four steps to achieving a successful negotiation:

1. Assess – is it worth it
2. Prepare – know yourself, know the other person
3. Ask – engage
4. Package – start with the results/benefits you can deliver

• Take a communal approach – works better for women

I also share some other tips including not thinking of negotiating as a one-discussion or one-conversation exercise. It may take multiple conversations to get a good deal or the best outcome and you need to stay in dialogue with the other party. 

The use of silence and leaving space for the other party to fill is something I’ve shared before and it’s useful when negotiating to be aware of the power of silence.

Finally I discuss the concept of BATNA or your best alternative to a negotiated agreement. In other words what is your fall back position, your next best outcome?

Hope you enjoy the episode. Here’s some further reading:

• 10 Tips to Negotiate Like a Boss
  • https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/283625
• Lean In movement
  • http://leanin.org
  • https://cdn-media.leanin.org/edu/Negotiation_Primer_WiW_2017.pdf
• How to Negotiate with Someone More Powerful than You
  • https://hbr.org/2014/06/how-to-negotiate-with-someone-more-powerful-than-you