Step 1 for Successful Negotiators: Believe in Yourself
Negotiating isn’t a specialized skill, but something we regularly do. Speakers on a panel at this year’s General Counsel Conference East agreed that negotiations occur daily. The panel, titled “Getting Out of Your Own Way: How to Negotiate Your Way to the Top” featured attorneys and professionals in the legal industry discussing how people negotiate in daily life.
“We all negotiate every day, whether it’s with ourselves, with our families, friends and colleagues,” said Damali Peterman, an attorney and arbitrator at JAMS. “Negotiation is just a conversation where you’re trying to convince yourself or someone else of a particular point of view.”
Peterman said a negotiator should be “ intentional about setting the mood and your mindset”
before you negotiate.”
Michael Gordon, legal counsel for Teva Pharmaceuticals’ Innovative Medicines & Biosimilars Division, shared that knowing how to effectively negotiate is crucial.
“The biggest issue with negotiating for ourselves is that initial first step of really believing in your abilities and what you can truly accomplish,” Gordon said. He recommended making a list of one’s accomplishments to build confidence going into negotiations.
Agreeing with her fellow panelist, Ashley Miller, general counsel at Capgemini, said confidence can build in small ways.
“Confidence in negotiation builds over time, often starting with small, intentional wins, based on set achievable goals for each negotiation,” Miller said. She suggested that people practice their negotiation skills with projects that are “low stakes” for small, impactful changes.
Are you interested in more advice about negotiating? Read more in this law.com article.