The Process of Negotiation



The Process of Negotiation

Start off with stating which role you played in the negotiation I would assume the role of Teri Wright in the conversation between a company's boss and a manager. Tracy Powell is the boss of the company; and I, Teri Wright, have been operating as the credit manager for 3 years, hypothetically.



What you expected in the situation

I was working as a credit manager for 3 years in the company. I also know that I have performed my job well, thus I felt that it was a perfect opportunity to approach my boss and have a serious negotiation about a pay raise. I have evaluated the employment data for other managers in the company. This data revealed that the other managers were getting as much as $65,000 annually. This did not match with my current salary of $50,000. In fact, these managers were getting as much as 30% over my current salary. I thought at that time, the situation is dire and I am being underpaid. I also believed that my performance were along the same lines as the other managers in the company.

The above mentioned arguments gave me all the reason to believe that I should approach my boss and negotiate for pay raise. I also expected that I should get the equivalent salary match to my peers in the company.



How you prepared for the negotiation

I prepared for the interview by comparing my performance to other managers in the company. Through this method I was able to analyze work performance and observed that I was performing similarly to those managers, which were actually just fine. Thus I grew optimistic and focused on the next part of the puzzle, which would help me get a pay raise. This was the actual conversation I have to have with Tracy Powell. I knew Tracy liked straight shooters and thus formed my mind that I would be straightforward in my demands. I also knew that I should be cordial, respectful and be able to respond professionally to whatever Tracy asked of me. Further, I was very sure that my demands were just and Tracy would expect them as soon as he realizes I was right.

What you learned about your skills?

After the interview I was rather surprised things did not pan out the way I expected it too. Looking back, it seems obvious that I went in underprepared. This is because the best way to go was, if I had evaluated all my strengths and weaknesses. I did not do this. I only focused on the positives and chose to look over some of the things that I still got wrong. Hence, I only noticed some of my strengths, these were: comparable performance with other managers on a periodic basis and 3 years of service as a credit manager. However I should have also considered some of my current weaknesses. This included coming slightly late to work thus unable to attend early staff meetings, lack of ...