YOUR NEXT JOB

Why it is important to strategise first

BY Jayashantha Jayawardhana

As entrepreneur and author Jim Rohn once said, “if you don’t like how things are, then change them. You’re not a tree.” In spite of the many variants of this quote found online, the wisdom in those words can’t be contested.

However, there’s more to a career negotiation than bargaining for a bigger paycheque. It isn’t that pay doesn’t matter; but it’s necessary to think broadly about your long-term career goals instead of focussing only on the offer at hand or pay and benefits.

Therefore, negotiating your role (i.e. the scope of your authority and advancement prospects) is likely to benefit your career more than merely negotiating a salary.

The pandemic, which spiralled out of control, ushered in a sea change in the world of work. In response to public health measures such as physical distancing and lockdowns, employers had to resort to working from home arrangements at short notice.

This changed how people viewed their careers and family life.

Drawing from a research project – which comprised thousands of stories of recent professional school graduates, mid-level managers and senior executives from seven global regions on how they advanced at crucial points in their careers – Hannah Riley Bowles and Bobbi Thomason propose four steps for preparing for your career negotiations in their article titled ‘Negotiating your Next Job,’ which was published in the Harvard Business Review (HBR).

Too often, negotiators begin their preparation focussed on the opportunity before them – such as a job offer – rather than their ultimate work and life aspirations. But as you enter a period of change in your career, seriously consider your aims for both the short and longer terms, and then map backwards from those objectives to determine the next steps you should take.

Consider quality of life as well. And if necessary, be ready to defer gratification and settle for a lower pay than you receive now.

The authors say that career negotiations fall into three categories in the main.

In asking negotiations, you propose something that’s standard for someone in your role or at your level.

And in bending negotiations, you request a personal exception or an atypical arrangement that goes against normal organisational practice (for instance, a remote working arrangement or promotion to a position for which you don’t possess conventional qualifications).

In shaping negotiations, you propose ways to play a role in changing your organisational environment or creating a new initiative such as revamping how a project is run or starting a new business unit.

In each type of career negotiation, you must marshal your arguments in support of your request. While asking and bending negotiations focus solely on the improvement of your career prospects, shaping negotiations centre on proposals to change the direction of your organisation or working group. Because this commonly means seizing leadership opportunities, shaping negotiations typically entail more parties and the backing of allies.

Reduce ambiguity about what, how and with whom to negotiate; and don’t walk blindly into an interview. If you do so, one risk is that you’ll get ‘wahlberged,’ as journalist Kate MacArthur put it when writing about how Mark Wahlberg negotiated a payment of US$ 1.5 million to reshoot his scenes in All the Money in the World.

The film is based on true events in the lives of multi-billionaire oil baron John Paul Getty and his family members. Meanwhile, his co-star Michelle Williams charged less than 1,000 dollars for the same work. Essentially, it was due to lack of information concerning what was negotiable.

To keep yourself from getting wahlberged as you prepare to negotiate, find the answers to all the questions you have from reliable sources – e.g. What is potentially negotiable? How should I negotiate? Who will be my counterparts and what do they care about?

Enhance your negotiations through relationships and vice versa: identify potential advocates for your proposal. As you aim to reduce ambiguity, you’ll undoubtedly think of people you might go to for information or advice.

You may also think of others who could provide social support, meaning those who would encourage and stand by you, and offer candid feedback if you veer off track. In this case, you could begin by trying something akin to shuttle diplomacy used by negotiators of international affairs: do the rounds with key stakeholders by talking to them individually to solicit their feedback and input.

This will enable you to privately explore their ideas, thoughts and concerns regarding your proposal.

If you’re concerned that shuttling around might make you appear to be conniving or manipulative, be transparent about it… or else, it could backfire.