Negotiating in the workplace isn’t just for new job offers – although research shows that jobseekers should attempt to negotiate their new offers whenever possible! Negotiating can also occur for deadlines, project priorities, workplace conditions, and more. The art of negotiating can seem like something of a lost skill – many employees interviewed stated that they don’t negotiate because they don’t know how or out of fear of being negatively perceived. Long-time industry expert Barb Bruno has come to the rescue with a new Expert Insights series titled “Effectively Negotiate – with Barb Bruno.”
Barb Bruno is the CEO of Good as Gold training and has won several awards in the recruiting industry. She’s even been inducted into the National Association of Personnel Services Hall of Fame. She has authored three books, including High Tech, High-Touch Recruiting: How to Attract and Retain the Best Talent by Improving the Candidate Experience. Her Expert Insights series with BizLibrary contains 12 videos that discuss the how, why, and when of negotiation. It also includes techniques for overcoming external and internal obstacles that we face when negotiating – including negative self-talk that leads us to believe we wouldn’t be successful.
Barb recommends 9 skills for effective negotiating – we’ve compiled 5 of them here to give you just a taste of the lesson – give the course a watch when you are able!
- Analyze the problem
- Look at the issue through the eyes of your negotiating partner. Attempt to understand the negotiation from both sides to your fullest ability.
- Prepare and research
- Preparation is key in negotiation. Research previous instances of negotiation and understand your negotiation partner as best you can.
- Listen to understand
- Many negotiators get hung up on listening to their negotiating partner to agree or disagree, rather than to understand where their negotiating partner is coming from. The goal of negotiating is to solve a problem – not to be right. Therefore, listen to your partner simply to understand their perspective.
- Control your emotions
- This one can be tough – especially if you’re negotiating about something high-stakes such as a raise, your initial salary, more time off, or pushing a deadline on an important project. If negotiations become intense, ask for a quick break. Focus on including facts and statistics as much as possible to remove emotions from the equation.
- Give and take
- Understand that negotiating is a collaborative process, and taking a “my way or the highway approach” will often be met with a loss. Prepare multiple options for a negotiation in case your first solution is not seen as optimal.
Negotiating is often about practice and being prepared. Effectively negotiating can have a lasting impact on your career trajectory and is not a skill that should be neglected out of fear. It can be uncomfortable to begin, but Effectively Negotiating with Barb Bruno can set you up for success should the occasion for negotiating ever arise.
