Page 134 - May 2018 - December 2018 Issue

Negotiating
Better Regardless
of Your Gender
By Obella Ronsairo, Supply Chain Management
Negotiating is a way to ask for, converse, and arrive at
a settlement and hoping that you can get what you
desire. When someone has something that we want
or controls what we wish, to negotiate is a way to
exchange something to meet our requests.
Because of the different ways in which men and
women approach negotiating, gender can affect the
success of a negotiation. Negotiation is an important
business skill needed by both men and women in a
variety of circumstances from negotiating a salary or
working out disagreements in a commercial contract.
These gender-based behaviors can be very subtle and
are learned within the context of the culture in which
you grew up. Negotiation is a skill which can be
learned, and although gender may influence the
approach, both men and women can use some of the
same strategies to improve their negotiations. Let’s
see:
Negotiation and Language
Some of the gender differences in negotiation,
according to Victoria Pynchon, a lawyer who
specializes in mediating commercial disputes, are
related to language. Men tend to discuss facts, be
more directive in their speech and use language that
is direct and powerful. Women tend to ask questions
that are really meant as objections, use language that
is indirect and give fewer directives. Women are more
likely to ask open-ended questions that obtain more
information. Men tend to be more comfortable asking
for what they want but might miss nuances in words
or body language that women notice. Women use
conversations as a means of establishing a connection
with other people, while men tend to view
conversation as a way to exchange information or
solve a problem.
Empathy and Aggression
Women are often taught to value human
relationships and may be better at seeing the other
person’s point of view than a man in the same
negotiation. This can be a strength in a negotiation
when searching for points of agreement, but an overly
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empathetic approach can prevent the female
negotiator from obtaining the concessions she
originally wanted. Men, who are often socialized to be
more aggressive, may be better able to “play hardball”
in a negotiation. However, both empathy and
aggression have a place in negotiations, and as a
negotiator of either gender, you should know which to
use.
Establishing Authority
Men and women should be aware of the actions that
can establish power and authority in a negotiation.
Men often lean over the table, spread their arms on
the table or over the back of an adjacent chair, while
women are less likely to expand their personal space
in this fashion. Taking a seat at the head of the table is
a way to take control. Establish your territory by taking
up space for your material rather than keeping it in a
small stack right in front of you. Also, look directly at a
person with whom you are negotiating, raise your
voice slightly or use silence as a response tactic to
demonstrate authority in a negotiation.
Negotiation Skills
Preparation is key to any negotiation. Research the
issues, the individuals and the economics of the
situation and use what you have learned to develop
your strategy. A potential weakness for some men is
that they often try to “wing it.” This can be disastrous
in a complex negotiation. Listening carefully is a skill
that both men and women can use in a negotiation;
paying careful attention to what your opponent has to
say and how is it said can lead to important insights.
Both men and women can improve their negotiating
skills by practicing objectivity. Identify the strengths of
your position, develop benchmarks for the negotiating
process and identify the ideal outcome. In addition,
determine what concessions you are willing to make
and whether there is a possible outcome that is not
ideal, but is a reasonable alternative.
Source:
https://work.chron.com/can-gender-affect-negotiation-5771.html