Negotiation Know-How

At The Chronicle of Higher Education's On Hiring blog, Audrey Williams June discusses negotiating tactics for women in academia, saying that "avoiding negotiation literally doesn't pay." In a Q&A interview with negotiations expert Sara Laschever, Williams June covers common mistakes women make during the negotiation process, the importance of doing research on an institution, and how to deal with being turned down, among other things. Overall, Laschever says that "a lot of women are nervous about negotiating." But with practice, she adds, there's no need to be. "It's really good to get together with someone and role-play. ... Get them to push your buttons and practice responding calmly and moving things in a positive direction away from conflict and emotionalism. Get them to explain why they can't give you what you want," she suggests. "That gives you some practice on drawing them out so you can figure out what to say to remove whatever roadblock they raise."