Women, Negotiation and Power
Women have the core skill-set to be great negotiators – if they only knew it!
Research and Susan's own experience suggest that while women do equally well to men when negotiating on behalf of others, they have a difficult time when it comes to making requests for themselves. Women don't ask, or they don't ask big enough!
While the better negotiators in general are “win-win” – for which women have a natural advantage -- even the most business savvy women will often unwittingly use a “lose-win” strategy i.e. accommodation in the face of conflict to preserve the relationship and "be nice". Especially when it comes to men. “Sugar and spice and all things nice” is wired deep into our bones.
Negotiation is a core skill in human relationships, both intimate and professional and is the essence of resolving conflict. Negotiating well is at the heart of great work, love and relationships. It is at the heart of a fabulous life.
Participants can expect to leave the program with a clear understanding of their strengths, what they need to further development, and greater confidence to create value around them and claim the value that is rightfully theirs.
Topics to be covered include:
- Competition v. collaboration
- Listening for and communicating interests and needs
- Understanding power and BATNA
- How to get what we want and improve relationships at the same time
- How to access our anger, and how to channel it.
- How to use calm, assertive energy to influence, manage and achieve our objectives
- How to discard man-mode and negotiate from the feminine.
- How to ask for what we want. How to widen our ask.
- How to communicate what we want and need without attacking.
- And, understanding our main pitfalls and how to avoid them.
The workshop:
This workshop is highly interactive and blends experiential and didactic components. It is offered in a one or two day format, with the two-day strongly recommended. Roleplays and negotiation scenarios are customized to the audience or taken from immediate participant challenges. The workshop will engage head, heart and whole body as the most confident and effective women negotiators bring all of us to the table!
About Susan's Negotiation Background
Susan has taught negotiation skills for over 30 years – in war zones, for the United Nations worldwide, and for industry. In this program, she blends her significant experience with her passion and insight into what women need most to increase their influence and impact through negotiation.