Diversity MBA Magazine - Summer 2008 - (Page 53)

FEATURE ARTICLE base with lower benefits, or a lower base with richer benefits. Negotiation is a give and take. Without knowing that background, you don’t necessarily know what you’re giving up to get what you want.” Often, he says, people get caught defending positions they don’t really care about without understanding what the other person really wants to accomplish. He cites the relatively simple negotiation of two people deciding where to eat: “If one person says, ‘I want to go to Scott’s Seafood’ and the other says, ‘I don’t,’ an argument can ensue. If, on the other hand, the second person asks a question such as ‘Why do you want to go to Scott’s Sea Food?’ and gets an answer such as, ‘I really like the fish,’ he or she can address the underlying issue – fish -- by saying something like, ‘Have you heard that the Charthouse has great fish?’” The very same principle holds true in most forms of negotiation, including presenting ideas within teams. “If you want to get picked to work on a team,” White says, “make sure you understand the objectives of the project, who the project leader has on the team, and the skill-sets they are looking for from the team. Then position yourself as the person who has the skills that will complement the rest of the team. To do this, you research the client and the project, read the proposal, and learn about other people on the team. Essentially, you learn as much as you can before presenting yourself as the right person. Of course, you can also be more direct; you can say something like, ‘I’m excited about the project; or, ‘This is why I’m excited about the project, and this is what I think I bring to the table.’ But it’s always better for people to think it’s their idea; if it’s their idea, they’ve accepted ownership for it. When we talk about negotiation, we’re really talking about sales; you’re selling yourself. And the new paradigm in sales is not really about telling people why. It’s about helping them figure out why.” |dMBA| James J. Owens is assistant professor of clinical management communication at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business’ Center for Management Communication. “The most important quality in negotiation is asking questions and listening, because by asking the right questions, people will expose or divulge exactly what they’re looking to accomplish, which will help you focus on the issue instead of the words." 53 June 2008 Top 1 0 0 Unde r 5 0 D i ve rse Le ade rs

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Diversity MBA Magazine - Summer 2008

Diversity MBA Magazine - Summer 2008 Contents Letters to the Editor In Your Own Hands Editor's View Find Your Power Voice Business Briefs Off the Shelf The Fourth Annual Top 100 Under 50 Diverse Corporate Executives Negotiation: The Art of Persuasion or Zero Sum Game? Career Planning for Tomorrow's Hispanic Workforce Who's Who In Diversity Entrepreneur Profile: Anita Santiago: Doing It Her Way Businesses that Keep On Giving Rising Sun Going Global: Will An International Assignment Benefit Your Career Work-Life Balance and the C-Suite: An Oxymoron? A Call to Save Travel: Off the Beaten Path - Chile Drawing the Line – Latin Art Exhibit The New Taste of Latin Cuisine American Sabor: Exhibit Highlights Latino Influence in Pop Music Crafting Specialized Business Degrees Latest MBA Salary Suggests MBA Is A Safe Haven Gadgets & Gizmos Gone Phishing – How Scammers Mine Private Data From Web Surfers Advertiser's Index The Meaning of Sanctuary

Diversity MBA Magazine - Summer 2008

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