NEGOTIATION SKILLS

How to prepare for negotiations

BY Jayashantha Jayawardhana

Recruitment ads generally claim that the salary is negotiable. However, while pay and perks are of prime concern, these are not the only factors to negotiate in your career. The role you will play – including the scope of authority and growth opportunities – is likely to benefit your career more than negotiating only pay and perks.

At times of work-life balance conflict in particular, negotiating your workload and the conditions that affect it (including responsibilities, location and travel requirements) may be crucial to career advancement and staying gainfully employed.

The best negotiators arrive at mutually beneficial solutions through joint problem solving techniques, creative tradeoffs and compromises to provide win-win solutions for your employer and yourself.

Further, negotiating the direction of your career requires the support of multiple stakeholders including those at work and family members – because this may possibly involve relocation decisions and additional commitments such as putting in long hours in some cases.

It’s important to think strategically, not only about what you negotiate but also how you do it. As you discuss this, always keep an eye on the larger objectives. Ensure that you’re negotiating with the right parties over appropriate issues and prevent misunderstandings from derailing your requests or proposals because they defy convention or take a different path.

So how should you negotiate your next job? It could be with the same employer or a different one. And how should you strike a balance between your expectations and those of an employer?

Drawing from a research project that gathered information from recent professionals, graduates, mid-level managers and senior executives in seven global regions on how they advanced to crucial points in their careers, Hannah Riley Bowles and Bobbi Thomason propose four steps in preparing for career negotiations.

They published their findings in an article titled ‘Negotiating Your Next Job: Focus on Your Role, Responsibilities and Career Trajectory, Not Salary’ in the Harvard Business Review (HBR).

CAREER GOALS When presented with a lucrative remuneration package, it’s easy to lose sight of your ultimate work and life aspirations.

But you have to think more broadly about your career. Consider your short and long-term career goals, then map backwards to decide on the next steps you must take. Remember that quality of life is as important as professional growth.

DIFFERENT TYPES Understand what you’re negotiating for because there are three types of career negotiations.

In ‘asking negotiations,’ you propose something that’s standard for someone in the role or at your level; in ‘bending negotiations,’ you ask for a personal exception or atypical arrangement that deviates sharply from the typical organisational practice or norms; and in ‘shaping negotiations,’ you propose ways to play a role in changing your organisational environment or launching a new initiative.

In asking negotiations, you must show that your proposition is reasonable and fits perfectly into existing organisational practices. During bending negotiations, you must have a strong justification for your request because your counterparts may resist it with the stock reply: ‘That’s not how it’s done around here!’

When preparing for bending negotiations, list the reasons why your counterparts would support and oppose your request, so that you can decide how to marshal your arguments and reasons.

Since shaping negotiations are typically about leadership opportunities, you need support and endorsements from your colleagues as well.

BE PREPARED Reduce any ambiguity about what, how and with whom to negotiate. Even though it seems counterintuitive, many people often walk blindly into potential negotiations all the time.

Do your homework. Meet with people and collect important information. Crystallise what’s negotiable, how and with whom to negotiate, and what your counterparts care about. Anticipate their questions, concerns and counterarguments, and prepare your mental script.

BUILD RELATIONS Enhance your negotiations through relationships and build on them to support your arguments. As you aim to reduce ambiguity, you’ll think of people whom you can approach for information or advice.

You may also identify others who could provide social support such as those who would encourage and stand by you, and provide honest feedback if you’re off track.

Don’t forget to find potential advocates for your proposal; because when it has their backing and advice, their inputs will improve the outcome of your negotiations. So maintain your links with them and continue to strengthen your mutual relationships.

So it’s over to you – happy negotiations!