MASTERING NEGOTIATIONS WITH YOUR BOSS

FIVE STEPS TO MASTERING NEGOTIATIONS WITH YOUR BOSS  

Some people are lucky to have approachable bosses while some work for real life embodiment of the word tyrant. Either way there comes a time when one has to negotiate with their boss, be the said boss good or otherwise, and this calls for mastering negotiations skills. How do you ask for a raise? How do you propose a business case? What if it’s a promotion you are up to and your boss don’t seem to think you are up for it? The point is most of these things call for mastering negotiations because otherwise you are stuck on the same spot and well, imagine how that will look like in five years from now.

Here are five steps to help guide you

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Walking into your boss’s office unprepared or having half-thought-out plan is a sure way to get shut down. Look you have to see it from the boss’s perspective. They are accustomed to people walking in their office and asking or demanding for things and yes some of the people who walk in there do deserve whatever they ask for, but deserving something and actually getting it is not the same thing. Do your research, make sure that:

• You understand your position and are in a position defend it with materials and evidence should such need arise
• You under your boss’s personality. Are they fair, treacherous, even-tempered etc? This will help you in adapting your negotiation tactics to the situation.
• Your proposal should appeal to their interest which means finding out some of the goals they have been driving towards and seeing how such manifest as solutions in your negotiation.

You have to research and prepare for the negotiation because you want to give yourself the best opportunity to succeed in achieving your goals.

RELATED: Understanding Integrative Negotiations

USE YOUR BRAIN MORE THAN YOUR MOUTH

“A fool is known by his many words.” This looks like one of those smart biblical proverbs because it actually is. We have all been in those meetings where someone asks a question and ends up answering it as they yap along before the person they asked gets a chance to answer it. You do not want to do this in your negotiation. It is a good idea to let the other person talk if you aim at getting some details out of them, just talk enough to accomplish what you need. Remember time is money and you boss’s time will mean more to them than yours so don’t create the impression that yours is a meaning less chatter.

RELATED: Understanding one sided (Distributive) Negotiations

LEAVE YOUR EGO BEHIND

Great people have lost in negotiations because they do not keep their ego in check. In 48 laws of power by Robert Greene, you quickly learn that outshining the master (your boss) is perhaps the worst mistake of all. If you aim at attain heights of power then keep your ego in check and make your boss feels like the sun. This is not the same as being a push over. The idea is to not give your boss a reason to go on the defense and then offense with you. The point is to learn to conceal your intentions, a rule you will no doubt learn should you decided to read Robert Greene’s book. Then again you don’t have to help your boss whom you know to be already going down.

Do not let your ego take control of the negotiations and start making it look like if you are giving ultimatums, learn to use smoke screens if need be or as  Kierkegaard wrote, “The world wants to be deceived.”

DON’T EXHIBIT WEAKNESS

Truth is there are times when you will definitely know that you are the weakest in the room. This is just a fact of life. What you have to learn is the distinction between acting like the weakest just to conceal your true intention and actually showing that you are truly weak. The key thing is to pay attention to your words.

It is worth noting that “Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.” We have already talked about more brain less mouth in step two above. In his book I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse, former highest earning youngest mob boss in his time Michael Franzese point out that the words you don’t say make you smart. A few well-placed comments here and there make you appear a lot smarter than you might be.

Do not show your boss that you cannot hold you position in a respectful manner.

RELATED: Power and Influence in Commercial Negotiation

ALWAYS BE RESPECTFUL

When negotiating with your boss you want to ensure that business remains business and doesn’t get personal. This means respecting their position given the organizational hierarchy. Remember there are two key things in any negotiation, position and interest, and your boss has the power to fire you, at least that is what am assuming, which makes their position in that negotiation worth respecting. They also are in a position to award whatever it is that you are interested in. So act tactful when negotiation with them.