Negotiating at Work: Turn Small Wins into Big Gains - Hardcover

Kolb, Deborah M.; Porter, Jessica L.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1118352416 ISBN 13: 9781118352410

Publisher: Jossey-Bass, 2015

Synopsis

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 Seen in this way, negotiation becomes a tool for addressing ineffective practices and outdated assumptions, and for creating change.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.

About this title

About the Author

DEBORAH M. KOLB, PhD, is a foremost expert in the fields of negotiation, leadership, and gender issues, sought-after speaker, and highly regarded author. Dr. Kolb is the Deloitte Ellen Gabriel Professor for Women in Leadership (Emerita) and founder of the Center for Gender in Organizations at Simmons College. She was former executive director and is currently co-director of the negotiations in the Workplace Project at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, and is strategic advisor and mentor to many of today’s most successful executive women.

For more visit DeborahMKolb.com

JESSICA L. PORTER has advised organizations worldwide, including many in the Fortune 500, on gender and leadership. As a researcher, Porter has led influential investigations into effective work habits and creating change.

For more visit JessicaLPorter.com

From the Back Cover

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 thirty 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. Many of the issues that hinder a leader’s ability to succeed today are not actually seen as obstacles to be negotiated, but simply as normal policies or practices within the organization. When we negotiate for new opportunities or increased flexibility, we never do it in a vacuum. We challenge the status quo, but when we do it successfully, we create small wins for the individual that can quickly grow into big gains, adding value to the organization by addressing ineffective practices and outdated assumptions and laying the path for a broader, more diversified pool of leadership to succeed at the highest levels.

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.

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

• Concrete advice on how to recognize opportunities to negotiate and bolster your confidence prior to the negotiation
• Strategies to get the other person to the table and engage in creative problem solving, even when they don’t see the issue at hand as negotiable
• Turn “asks” into a negotiation, and advance negotiations that get “stuck” to bring them to a successful conclusion

By using these strategies, you can negotiate successfully for your job and your career, while at the same time change organizational policies and assumptions that may impact many other talented leaders.

From the Inside Flap

Praise for NEGOTIATING AT WORK

The barriers for women inside businesses can be subtle, and often even invisible. Deborah Kolb gives women with leadership potential a clear and practical roadmap so they can see those barriers, and navigate and negotiate within an organization. Negotiating at Work is a valuable resource to help talented women rise to the top.
--Patricia Fili-Krushel, chairman, NBCUniversal News Group

Deborah Kolb continues the important message of Knowing Your Value in her latest book by providing specific tools and tactics that have the power to reshape a woman's trajectory at work. I recommend Negotiating at Work to every woman, leader, and organization that is truly invested in ensuring quality and diversity at the top.
--Mika Brzezinski, cohost of Morning Joe; New York Times best-selling author

The most successful negotiations create enduring value for all involved. In this practical and insightful guide to negotiations at work, Dr. Kolb takes on the longstanding and critical issue of women's leadership, creating the possibility of a win not only for the individual leader but also for the entire organization. Readers, both women and men, will find themselves better equipped to introduce positive change in the workplace.
--William Ury, coauthor of Getting to Yes and author of The Power of a Positive No

If you don't ask, you can't get--and maybe many others also won't get. Negotiating at Work is full of valuable insights that show why negotiating for small improvements for oneself can lead to big organizational change for everyone. Its useful tips offer shrewd techniques for how to do it well.
--Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School professor; best-selling author of Confidence and SuperCorp

Dr. Kolb has an uncommon understanding of what it means to negotiate well. Her win-win-win approach detailed in Negotiating at Work has the power to be an immediate game-changer for women and the companies they work for. Buy this book for yourself and anyone responsible for retaining top talent!
--Marshall Goldsmith, author or editor of thirty-four books including the global best-sellers MOJO and What Got You Here Won't Get You There

Edition details

• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1118352416
• ISBN 13: 9781118352410
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288