by Mark Jankowski

The nature of Project Management is give and take all the time. While “selling” is not typically part of a project manager’s job description, the following principles can also be applied toward negotiating time or resources necessary to complete the project.

By Mark Jankowski

In our seminars, we are often asked how to be more effective while negotiating over the telephone.  Being prepared is a key element in any negotiation.  For instance, if you were heading into a three-hour negotiation session, you would have likely spent the prior day assembling materials and creating an agenda.  At the very least, you would have had an opportunity to gather your thoughts on the way to the meeting.

The problem with telephone negotiations is that sometimes you can be caught off guard.  It is possible that you may be completely involved in another matter when the other side calls to engage you in a negotiation session.  You can assume that they have had the opportunity to prepare and have all the pertinent material in front of them.  Far too often the tendency is to “wing-it” and enter into the telephone negotiation without any preparation.  We strongly suggest that you resist the temptation and try the following:

This month we are taking a little bit of a different approach to negotiations and applying some of those lessons to our home-life and relationships with those we are closest to. While not directly applicable to work, there is no doubt that happiness at home can make our work life even that much better. So, the following are seven secrets that can be applied toward any relationship.

By Mark Jankowski

Many have wondered if the negotiation skills we teach can work outside of the business environment. The answer is a resounding, Yes!

For instance, take listening - the heart of the Probe phase.  We believe the best negotiators are the best listeners.  Too often, in negotiation, we get off track by not really listening to the other side. 

It’s been said that “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it”. Don’t let this happen to you. Download a free copy of this Lessons Learned template and make each project even more successful than the last one!

There’s a lot of give and take in Project Management and sometimes that give and take comes to a standstill. When a deadlock occurs, before pronouncing the deal dead, try following these steps:

Too many people rely on "gut" instinct and just leap into the fray, rather than working with a planned process for negotiation when it comes asking for a raise. However, the most important part of negotiating is having a systematic approach.

How can you use the 3 Ps to negotiate a raise?  Many people just walk into the boss's office and say, "I need a raise."  The boss says, "yes," "no," or "we'll see" and then you hope for the best.  If you use the 3 Ps,