Negotiating at Work Lib/E: Turn Small Wins Into Big Gains

Negotiation has always been at the heart of solving problems at work. Yet today, when people in organizations are asked to do more with less, be responsive 24/7, and manage in rapidly changing environments, negotiation is more essential than ever. What has been missed in much of the literature of the past thirty years is that negotiations in organizations always take place within a context--of organizational culture, of prior negotiations, of power relationships--that dictates which issues are negotiable and by whom. When we negotiate for new opportunities or increased flexibility, we never do it in a vacuum. We challenge the status quo and we build out the path for others to negotiate those issues after us. In this way, negotiating for ourselves at work can create small wins that can grow into something bigger, for ourselves and our organizations. Seen in this way, negotiation becomes a tool for addressing ineffective practices and outdated assumptions, and for creating change. Negotiating at Work offers practical advice for managing your own workplace negotiations: how to get opportunities, promotions, flexibility, buy-in, support, and credit for your work. It does so within the context of organizational dynamics, recognizing that to negotiate with someone who has more power adds a level of complexity.

About the Author :
Jessica L. Porter has advised organizations worldwide, including many in the Fortune 500, on gender and leadership. As a researcher, Porter has led influential investigations into effective work habits and creating change. Deborah M. Kolb is a foremost expert in the fields of negotiation, leadership, and gender issues, a sought-after speaker, and a highly regarded author. Dr. Kolb is the Deloitte Ellen Gabriel Professor for Women in Leadership (Emerita) and founder of the Center for Gender in Organizations at Simmons College. She is former executive director and currently codirector of the negotiations in the Workplace Project at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, and is strategic advisor and mentor to many of today's most successful executive women. Emily Ellet is a SAG/AFTRA actor, singer, and audiobook narrator based in New York City. She has recorded over 200 audiobooks in every conceivable genre. She is a MAC Award-nominated and critically praised cabaret singer and the winner of the 2017 MetroStar Talent Challenge cabaret competition at the Metropolitan Room in New York City. She has also appeared off-Broadway, on cruise ships, and at regional theaters across the country.