Important Negotiation Skills for Workplace Success

Important Negotiation Skills for Workplace SuccessImportant Negotiation Skills for Workplace SuccessWhat are negotiation skills, and why are they important to employers? Negotiation within a work context is defined as the process of forging an agreement between two or more parties that is mutually acceptable. Negotiations usually involve some give-and-take or compromise between the parties. However, negotiated agreements do not necessarily involve both parties meeting in the middle because one of the parties might have more leverage than the other. Negotiations might result in formal agreements (or contracts) or may yield a less formal understanding (as in a verbal agreement) of how to remedy a problem or determine a course of action. Jobs Which Require Negotiation Skills There are many different jobs where negotiation skills are valued including sales, management, marketing, customer service, real estate, and law. However, in general, being able to negotiate a solution is a pred ictor of workplace success. What Employers Want When youre interviewing with a potential employer, be prepared to share examples of your negotiation skills if they are required for the job for which youre being considered. This is especially important if strong negotiation/mediationszeit skills is an item specifically listed under the Requirements section of the job advertisement to which you are applying. When you describe examples of how youve effectively used negotiation skills in the past, explain how you adhered to the four common steps in workplace negotiation by answering the following questions Planning and preparationHow have you gathered data to build your case for a successful negotiation? How did you define your objectives and those of other involved parties? Opening discussionHow did you build rapport and establish a positive tone for a negotiation? Bargaining phase How did you present your argument and respond to objections or requests for concessions? Closing phas eHow did you and the other parties seal your agreement? Which of your objectives did you achieve? What concessions did you make? Employee-to-Employer Negotiations Throughout your career, you will need to occasionally negotiate with your employer or supervisor. Even if you are happy with your job, at some point youll realize that you deserve a raise, need a work process change, or want to take extra vacation time or sick leave. Typical employee-to-employer negotiations include Negotiating a salary offer after being selected for a new jobNegotiating a leave of absence or the timing of a vacationNegotiating the terms of a separation with an employerNegotiating a more flexible work scheduleForging a union contractNegotiating a contract for consulting or freelance services Employee-to-Employee Negotiations Whether your job requires teamwork or youre in a managerial position, you must be able to communicate with your peers, subordinates, supervisors, and colleagues. Here are a few instances of employee-to-employee negotiations Negotiating roles and workload within a project teamNegotiating a project deadline with your bossTroubleshooting interpersonal conflicts Employee-to-Third-Party Negotiations Depending on your job, you may be called upon to negotiate constructively with people outside of your company or firm. If you are a salesperson, this may involve negotiating favorable B2B or B2C contracts with clients. If you have purchasing responsibilities, youll need to source and negotiate with vendors for cost-saving supply contracts. And, of course, if you are a lawyer or paralegal, negotiating with opposing counsel, and with court personnel, is a given. Even jobs like teaching require a degree, if not of negotiation, then of its close relative, mediation. Teachers frequently structure learning contracts with their students. And parent communication often requires persuasive mediation skills as well. Examples of employee-to-third-party negotiations includ e Negotiating with a customer over the price and terms of a saleNegotiating a legal settlement with an opposing attorneyNegotiating service or supply agreements with vendorsMediating with students on lesson plan goals