Your negotiation style influences your power stance and tactics during negotiation. For example, if you take a low-status power stance, your tactics are likely to promote others meeting their needs at your own expense. Or, if you take a stronger power stance, you may get others off side by using communication tactics which are perceived to be aggressive.
Effective negotiators are aware of the impact of negotiation style on their results. They are flexible in working across a range of styles, depending on their contexts. Knowing what your own baseline negotiation style is, can help you to develop this sort of flexibility.
The benefits of being flexible in your negotiation style include:
- Increased ability to meet a counterpart on their own terms
- Reduced stress
- Improved cross-cultural communication
- Higher levels of rapport
- Increased perception by others that you are a confident negotiator
During my courses on Negotiation Skills for Women, I ask participants to complete a quick negotiation styles questionnaire. As a valued subscriber to my Tips for Success, I’m giving YOU access to this questionnaire here. Use it to get a benchmark for where you tend to start in negotiation. To find out more about how to become a more flexible negotiator, of course, you are welcome to come along to my next Negotiation Skills for Women program.
About the author of this article
A passionate advocate for women’s development, Eleanor Shakiba is known by her clients as ‘the glass ceiling smasher.’ She has been running training and coaching sessions for women in high intellect professions since 1994. Eleanor’s qualifications include degrees and diplomas in Social Anthropology, Applied Psychology, Adult Education and Neuro Linguistic Programming.