Saturday, February 21, 2009

PM Skill #3: Negotiation

Many project managers do not have direct reports and can not use their authority to accomplish tasks in many instances.  This presents a challenge for the project manager throughout the life of the project.  As a result, a project manager must be skilled at negotiation.

In the pm411.org podcast, "Podcast episode 024: successful negotiation skills", Joe Friedman states that a successful negotiator must achieve two goals: 1) Get agreement between two or more parties; and, 2) Build relationships in the process.  Friedman also discusses a 4-step process to becoming a successful negotiator:
  1. Planning - Determine your priorities, alternatives, how you will "play the game", and your strategies if your offer is refused.
  2. Opening Ceremony - When you meet face-to-face with a counterpart, set the tone for the negotiations.
  3. Discovery - Understand your counterpart’ss priorities.
  4. Agreement - Document the solution and contingencies.
Good negotiation skills will go a long way for a project manager.

Back to post "The Top 10 Skills Every Project Manager Needs"

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