Negotiating at Work

Deborah Kolb

with Deborah Kolb

Expert in Negotiation, Leadership and Gender

Negotiating at Work

Negotiating at Work 328 328 33Voices

Dr. Deborah Kolb joins 33voices to discuss how to get opportunities,promotions, flexibility, buy-in, support, and credit for your work.

Turning Small Negotiations Into Big Wins at Work

What would you do if you were presented with a high ranking promotion that you weren’t crazy about taking? In most corporate settings, opportunities have a way of being positioned strategically, but they don’t always align with your priorities or the goals that you have for your life.  Regardless of your reasoning, turning it down will almost certainly cause strife with those in charge, and how you handle it could mean the difference between your continued employment and having to start over; the problem is further magnified if you’re female.

Studies are continuing to validate women’s general deficiencies as negotiators, and what we’re learning is that much of it is self-inflicted.  Deborah M. Kolb is recognized as one of the champions of gender negotiations and in her latest book Negotiating At Work: Turn Small Wins into Big Gains, she speaks to women first and foremost about reframing how they position themselves within a corporation and the world at large.

Here’s what we know: Women are less likely than men to initiate negotiations, to ask for higher paying salaries, and to approach negotiation from a position of strength.  Further, Kolb brings to light that all too often, women tend to downplay the value they contribute to their organizations, and as a result they put less emphasis on compensation.  In this conversation with Deborah, I focus our attention on how women, and males for that matter can rethink how they approach these critical areas:

  • Negotiate from a position of strength

  • Understand the gamesmanship of negotiations

  • Make your values visible

  • Using ‘moves’ and ‘turns’ to counterbalance resistance

  • How to raise a problem without being perceived as the problem

  • The 3 essential elements of proper mental preparation

  • The power of “yes and … “