May 15, 2017
At some point in your career you’ll need to negotiate. Maybe it’ll be for the salary you deserve. Or for better benefits. Or for some extra time off for a special vacation. Whatever your ask, you’ll probably need to negotiate with your boss to get what you want.
When people think about negotiation, they tend to imagine a haggling session, where each side makes demands—one high and one low—and they eventually meet somewhere in the middle. According to Jeff Weiss, author of Harvard Business Review’s Guide to Negotiating, this kind of linear, zero-sum thinking limits your opportunity to find creative, win-win solutions.
In this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Jeff shares four strategies to improve your negotiation skills and get better outcomes. His tips include:
- Know
your “why’s.” Understand the underlying reason you’re asking for
more time, money or benefits. This can open up more opportunities
for a mutually beneficial solution with your employer.
- Don’t
fall into stereotypical thinking. Don’t fall for the
zero-sum-game approach to negotiation. Both sides can “win.”
- Avoid
emotionally driven ultimatums. Negotiation is stressful and people
sometimes say things they don’t mean. Steer clear of manipulative
language and subjective standards.
- Take the lead. Be proactive in your negotiation. Don’t wait for the other side to act first.
You can find more useful job search insight in Land Your Dream Job Anywhere, now available on Amazon. To preview the first chapter for free, visit www.macslist.org/anywhere.
Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com.