untitled

46 CAREER ADVICE FOR LIFE SCIENTISTS

Some Tips on Successful

Negotiation

Elizabeth Marincola

The American Society

for Cell Biology

T

here is much pop-wisdom associated with nego-

tiation. For example, seating your negotiating

partner in a broken chair or an overheated room,

because increasing the other’s discomfort is believed to

reduce one’s own perceived advantage. In contrast to

this frivolous pseudo-science, basic, time-proven nego-

tiating skills are important and useful across industries

and a variety of personal and professional situations.

Following are some basic negotiating tactics:

Recognize When to Negotiate

Take control of framing the negotiation. For example,

if an employee receives a competitive job offer, determine

first if the threatened outcome would be advantageous or

disadvantageous to the organization. If the change

would be mutually beneficial, even if the threat is just a

gambit to gain attention, do not rise to the bait. Tell the

person that they will be missed. If, on the other hand, the

threatened outcome is not beneficial to the organization,

do not assume that there is no room for negotiation or

reconsideration just because a statement is declarative.

Determine What the Other Person

Wants

Often people assume that the “obvious” issue is the

most important issue or even the only issue. For

example, employment unhappiness is not always pri-

marily about salary. It is often about title, reporting

relationships, acknowledgment, independence, work

Do not assume that there is no room

for negotiation or reconsideration just

because a statement is declarative.