Negotiating at Work (PDF)

Understand the context of negotiations to achieve better
results

Negotiation has always been at the heart of solving problems at
work. Yet today, when people in organizations are asked to do more
with less, be responsive 24/7, and manage in rapidly changing
environments, negotiation is more essential than ever. What has
been missed in much of the literature of the past 30 years is that
negotiations in organizations always take place within a
context--of organizational culture, of prior negotiations, of
power relationships--that dictates which issues are negotiable
and by whom. When we negotiate for new opportunities or increased
flexibility, we never do it in a vacuum. We challenge the status
quo and we build out the path for others to negotiate those issues
after us. In this way, negotiating for ourselves at work can create
small wins that can grow into something bigger, for ourselves and
our organizations. Seen in this way, negotiation becomes a tool for
addressing ineffective practices and outdated assumptions, and for
creating change.

Negotiating at Work offers practical advice for managing
your own workplace negotiations: how to get opportunities,
promotions, flexibility, buy-in, support, and credit for your work.
It does so within the context of organizational dynamics,
recognizing that to negotiate with someone who has more power adds
a level of complexity. The is true when we negotiate with our
superiors, and also true for individuals currently under
represented in senior leadership roles, whose managers may not
recognize certain issues as barriers or obstacles.

Negotiating at Work is rooted in real-life cases of
professionals from a wide range of industries and organizations,
both national and international.

* Strategies to get the other person to the table and engage in
creative problem solving, even when they are reluctant to do
so

* Tips on how to recognize opportunities to negotiate, bolster
your confidence prior to the negotiation, turn 'asks' into a
negotiation, and advance negotiations that get "stuck"

* A rich examination of research on negotiation, conflict
management, and gender

By using these strategies, you can negotiate successfully for
your job and your career; in a larger field, you can also alter
organizational practices and policies that impact others.