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Negotiating Conditions for Leadership Success

Patricia Deyton

Learning Objectives

Definitions of negotiations Why negotiations are critical today Gender differences in negotiations Skills for negotiations Personal application

Definitions of Negotiations

A process by which the involved parties or group resolve matters of dispute by holding discussions and coming to an agreement which can be mutually agreed by them.

Coming to closure on a business deal or bargaining on some product.

Why Are Negotiation Skills So Critical Now?Organizations are flatter and more networkedResponsibilities exceed authority

Organizations need to be more flexible in the face of changing environments

Deal with resistance to change

Organizations need to do more with lessDeal with conflicting agendas; constrained resources

Organizations expect more from employeesNegotiate conditions for success

Gender Issues at Three Levels

At the personal level – how we perceive ourselves as negotiators - women have traditionally not had opportunities for negotiations and may, therefore, lack a sense of competency.

At the level of expectations – where others set the context for our actions – as a result of lack of opportunity and/or lack of experience, women may not be taken seriously as negotiators.

At the situational level – where we deal with the inequities of power and position -

Do Women Ask? It Depends

No– less likely than men to initiate negotiations– less likely to recognize opportunities– less likely to challenge decisions– less likely to ask when $$$ is an issue– less likely to stick with it -- aspirational collapse

Yes– when issues matter to them -- time, flexibility– when negotiating on behalf of others– when good information is available– when they connect what they need to what is good for

the organization

Challenges in Negotiation

Get in Your Own WayHard to focus on needs; position your self

Unclear about what you wantCede control to others; propose creative options

Offensive Moves that Make You DefensiveHard to get proposals heard; turn offensive moves.

Engage in Telling and SellingA self-focused frame makes it hard to engage them in a processthat leads to creating good agreements; use appreciative moves

Some Common Ways We Get In Our Own Way Fail to recognize negotiation opportunities

See only our own weakness; bargain ourselves down

Take responsibility/blame for ensuring everybody’s satisfaction/dissatisfaction

Find it difficult to compromise/get stuck in our positions

Avoid conflict

Other

Positioning Yourself to Negotiate

Challenge: Getting in your own way

Positioning Moves:Take stock: What is your value and how do you make it visible? Where are you vulnerable and how will you counter these perceptions?

Learn as much as you can: What benchmarks can you use so you have a defensible rationale? What do you know about the other and how can you use that information?

Develop alternatives: What happens if no deal (To you? To them?) How can you introduce these choices into the negotiations?

Develop and Analyze Alternatives

BATNA – Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement

What happens if there is no agreement? What will you be forced to do?

Other ways to satisfy your needs

Potential deals

Status quo

What do you know about their BATNAS?

How can you influence their perceptions of their BATNAS; How can you influence their perceptions of your BATNA?

Proposing Creative Options

Problem Solving Steps:Focus on Interests, Not Positions

What matters to you?

What matters to them?

What is most important to each.

Have Options to ProposeSimple Trade-offs—Time, Other Currency

Contingency—If, then agreements

Bridge to Expand the Pie

Be Firm on Needs; Flexible on Means

Challenges to Your Position

The Problem: Moves that put them in a good position can put you at a disadvantage

Anticipate Moves:Question your competency/expertise Your budget is way out of line with what you deliver. We are not getting value for our money

Criticize your styleYou are being unreasonable

Demean your ideasWhere did you even get these numbers from?

Appeal for sympathy/supportI really need your help on this

Make threatsIf you can’t bring this into line, we’ll find another organization

Flatter youYou are so good at this; why wouldn’t you want to do it?(all 80 hours of it without more pay)

Turning Moves

Turning Moves:

– Surprised? Use Silence. Take Breaks.

– Level the Playing Field Name to show you know it’s a tactic. Correct by giving alternative explanations.

– Enlist Your Counterpart Question to learn more. Divert the comment to the problem at hand.

The Challenge: Negotiating from a Defensive Position.

Keep Yourself in the Game

2010 Strategic Leadership for Women

Problem: Self Focused Frame

Best Practices: Ability to See More Sides to the Story

Look at your storyWhat is your explanation?

Look at your partner’s storyWhat are the 5 good reasons your partner would give to explain his/her actions?

They Think They are Right Too!

Laying the Groundwork for Collaboration

Appreciative Moves: The Problem

Them

Opportunistic

Short term thinker

Narrow vision

Out for themselves

Rigid

Uncooperative

Us

Strategic

Long term perspective

See the big picture

Act in organization’s best interests

Flexible

Collaborative

2010 Strategic Leadership for Women

Problem: Telling and Selling

Best Practice: Use Appreciative Moves to Get Buy-InPay attention to openings Spend time connectingCreate space to voice concerns (mention a good reason)

Adopt a stance of curiosityListen actively to understand-not refuteUse hypothesis testing questions–What if we…?

Appreciate their ‘face’ Use what you know about them/their style.How will they sell this to their key constituents

Enlist Them to Problem Solve with You

Enlisting Your Partner

What negotiation will you have next week?Prepare

Get Yourself into a Good Position

Clarify your interestsTake Stock—how will you make your value visible?What information do you need and how will you use it?What is your BATNA? Theirs? How will you introduce it?Anticipate moves; have turns in mindBe prepared to propose options

Enlist the Other to Work it Out with You

Understand their interestsGet into a connected frame of mind (5 good reasons)How will you open the conversation? How will you connect to their good reasons to move the discussion ahead?What will make it be easy for them to say ‘yes’?

Personal Application

Personal Application

Prepare individually – 5 minutes

Enroll your ‘in-class’ negotiating partner – 5 minutes. That involves you describing your ‘real-life’ partner in such a way that your ‘in-class’ partner knows enough about the situation to negotiate credibly with you. Take the role of your “real-life partner” to describe the situation from their perspective (use the 5 good reasons)

Role play – 5 minutes. You play yourself and your ‘in-class’ partner plays your ‘real-life’ partner

Switch and go through the process again

Personal Application De-brief

What worked well and why?

What will you do differently when you actually do this negotiation?

It Pays to Ask

Women who negotiate for what they need to be successful in a leadership role

– Receive higher performance ratings

– Seen to have more leadership potential

– Less likely to leave their organizations

– Are more satisfied with their jobs

Kolb and Kickul, "It Pays to Ask" (2006)

Integrate their needs with those of the organization

Negotiating the Conditions for Career Success: A Summary

Know What You Want (what would make you say yes)

Take Stock of Your Strengths (make your value visible)

Learn as Much as You Can (make defensible proposals)

Develop Alternatives (enlist allies to help make the case)

Be Firm on Needs but Flexible on Means (propose package deals)

Turn Moves that Disadvantage You (don’t negotiate from a defensive position)

Open negotiations on legitimate terms (the 5 good reasons)

Use Appreciative Moves to enlist your partner (try to solve their problems)

Stay with it; “No” may be just the beginning!