How sharp are your negotiation skills?

Applying for a new job? Asking for a raise? Closing a contract for a major framework? Submitting a bid for a tender? All of these tasks involve elements of negotiation, and yet these aren’t skills that most people consciously develop. They just become part of the job.

However, improving your negotiations skills can be beneficial, no matter what role you operate in. The reason for this is that in the sector there are very few roles that operate in isolation. Most require either leading a team, or working as part of a team, and that means getting along with others.

People will always differ in their opinions on how to approach projects and this can cause conflict and delays. If you’re able to negotiate a path forward despite the differences of opinion, you’ll quickly become a more valued member of the team. Maybe even become a leader.

If that’s how you’d like to progress in your career, then consider sharpening these skills to become a better negotiator:

Listening to learn:

There’s a well-known saying: that most people listen only to respond. In other words, their primary focus is on contributing to the conversation rather than hearing what the other person has to say or learning from it.

Negotiating is about finding common ground, a way that all stakeholders win, and you can only know what others want and what’s important to them, if you actively listen. This means hearing what is being said as well as what is being implied. Watching facial expressions, hand gestures and listening to the tone of voice all provide clues to how someone really feels about something, regardless of what they’re saying.

Understand outcomes:

As much as different stakeholders may have their own priorities, ultimately, it’s the project outcomes that matter most. Being able to align the big picture view with smaller tasks and priorities along the way will ultimately lead to better outcomes. A skilled negotiator is able to bring the focus of conversations back to what needs to be achieved so that people don’t get side-tracked.

Build consensus:

The goal of negotiation is to be able to move forward in a way that benefits all stakeholders. This can only be achieved when there is agreement on key points. Being able to draw together what everyone wants and needs, can be challenging, but building consensus is vital for successful negotiation.