Effective Leadership & Motivation

Soft Skills Training for Women in Construction

Learning Objectives… Understand the importance of the influence and negotiate for your

working well-being

Review a range of strategies available to influence, negotiate, build and manage relationships

Share ideas and practical tips for immediate use

Influence & Negotiation…

“The power to produce an effect, the ability to affect person’s character, beliefs or actions.”

“Interaction that occur when two, or more parties, attempt to agree on a mutually acceptable outcome in a situation where

their preferences are related in a negative way.”

Why do we need to INFLUENCE & NEGOTIATE? Balance of power

Different interests

Need to live with others

Long-term consequences

Building the right image

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Influencing skills The difference between influencing and manipulation

Influencing is creating a change in behaviour, attitude, opinion or perception

Manipulation is creating a change in behaviour, attitude, opinion or perception with no regard for other outcomes

Avoiding manipulation - we should always seek to influence by dovetailing our objective or outcome with the other persons’ outcomes

History There are many changes in the past that have contributed for the

improving of women’s economic status (in America women make 75 cents out of every dollar a man makes)

In the UK men earn quarter of a million pounds more than women in their lifetime

Women don’t ask, or wait too long, to ask for better working conditions Studies show men asked 8 times more often for a higher salary than

simply accepting the initial offer Men and women start, more or less, on similar salaries, but over the

years, the difference in the earnings increases

Do women differ?

Compared to men, women often don’t see negotiation as an opportunity for improving a given situation

Women worry about the impact of their decisions

They feel bad or uncomfortable at the thought of negotiating

Both genders consider competitive nature in negotiation (i.e. aggressive) as an unfeminine behaviour

Pack up & go home? Listening and affirming Perspective taking Creativity Sensitivity Research orientated Willingness to ask questions and hear the answers More collaborative approach in general All of the above have been identified as key female traits

Getting results - options…

Imposed - I decide

Consulted - I seek opinion and then I decide

Negotiated - We decide (mixed power)

Working towards a “win-win” situation

What is negotiation?Conferring with another in order to compromise

The outcomes of negotiations

Strategy

Negotiation and the influencing process

Planning your negotiations

Techniques during negotiations

Understanding the other persons’ communication

Outcomes Generally speaking there are 3 possible outcomes from negotiation:

A. Win-win situation - requires two-way communicationB. Win-lose situation - creates an “we” and “they” situationC. Lose-lose situation – the objectives of neither party are met

The key in achieving outcome A is knowing the outcome you want to achieve from the beginning.

Setting outcomes Identify and define the outcome that you want, state it positively

Create a clear vision/picture of it by using colours

Create any sound that you need to go with it

Imagine and decide the feelings that you want to stimulate with it

Prepare your best case and worst case scenario, but not in the same way as your preferred outcome

Identify and define the possible benefits from the results

StrategyPresumably your outcome is a WIN-WIN situation

Find out the other peoples’ outcome, ask them the same questions: what will they see, what will they hear, what will they feel

Link your outcome to their interests, concentrate on their interests and the courses of action that they could take to satisfy those interests, and which are the ones that would most likely result in the outcome you prefer

Generate possibilities, generate as many options or courses of action as possible that may be available to the individual(s)

Planning your negotiations Planning is the foundation for successful negotiations Remember your resourceful state Separate the facts and opinions Choose neutral environment Assign appropriate amount of time to the meeting Set a range of potential objectives, rather than a single point Gather as much information as possible on the individuals that are to be

influenced, their values, beliefs (if possible), interests and link them to the benefits

Negotiation Techniques Establish rapport

Aim to keep the other person in a positive frame of mind

Validate their proposal and detect their intentions

• Example: “That’s a good point, if I were in your shoes that would be important to me.”

(then restate their position, clarifying the outcome and detect the intentions (watch for any

nonverbal signs)

Show respect for others’ feelings, opinions, values and beliefs, even if you disagree

Never ridicule, insult, blame or accuse

Control your emotions, but don’t be totally unemotional

Logical reasoning - use a well reasoned case to support your argument without pushing the other person in the corner

Place yourself in the other persons’ shoes

Ask: “What would have to happen for... this... to happen?”

Label questions or suggestions e.g. “Let me ask a question…” or “Let me make a suggestion…”

Negotiation Techniques

State reasons for making a proposal, then make the proposal. This is important! If you give a reason any objection will be focused on the reason and not on the proposal.

Let people make up their own mind Express feelings: e.g. “I’m feeling concerned about…” Emphasise on the areas of agreement Ask for time out if you need to think about some new option that has arisen If you get stuck:

A: do something else

B: use the “AS IF” technique

Negotiation Techniques

Understanding the way others communicate

When we know that a person communicates in a certain way, we can adjust the way we present information and elicit information from them

The result is usually beneficial for influencing and communicating

We can adjust our language so that we blend with the other person

Negotiation Stages Structure

Stage 1: Planning – the power stage

Define the problem/opportunities

Determine goals and objectives (yours and others)

Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA)

Determine the bargaining mix

Focus on the outcomes

The outcomes…Tangible

Raise, price, delivery, quality, guarantees

IntangibleMaking the other person or yourself happy

“Winning”

Being fairPreserving your reputation/Integrity

Stage 1: Planning continues… Determine authority to negotiate

Know thyself, and plan accordingly

Research - knowledge is power

Determine the structure, but not the order

Be ready for things to go wrong

Stage 2: Opening

Reaffirm desire for mutually beneficial outcome

Get concerns or negativity out in the open

Have a rationale for your opening bid

Start as you plan to continue

Start as you plan to continue… Show respect for the other person's opinions

If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically

Let the other person do a greater deal of the talking

Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers

Make sure you really try to see things from the other person's perspective

Stage 3: Bargaining

Separate people and problem

Understand concessions patterns

Understand and use the range of influence techniques…

Influence - approaches…

Reason

Inspire

Feel good

Deal/favour

Authority/force

Ask

The power of questions…

Recap on a situation Establish the other persons’ views/positions Gain interest Keep the other person involved and maintain his/her

interest Check progress and understanding Clarify what has been agreed upon and close the

negotiations Lead to a “Yes”

Stage 4: Closing

Be clear on what has been agreed upon

Remember face saving

No celebrations!

Minimize upsetting other people (if necessary)

Stage 5: Implementation

Make it part of the bargaining mix

Write it down

Distributive Negotiation Tactics Win-Lose negotiation

Short-term (incompatible goals)

Emphasizing tangibles

Relationship is not a factor usually

Integrative Negotiation Tactics

Win-win negotiation (collaborative)

Long-term goals, underlying interests that may be compatible

Emphasizing intangibles

Relies on trust

Be nice to people, but decisive with the problem

Attack the problem together

Focus on interests, and not on positions – “Why?”

Develop objective criteria to identify a “good” solution

Make sure you have enough time!

Listen effectively

Integrative Negotiation Tactics

Tips on Influencing & Negotiating

Know what you want

Understand the expectations

Be persistent and consistent

Give, in order to receive

Pay attention to people

Expect a lot

Build a positive atmosphere

Promise a lot, deliver more

Give people what they want

Control your emotions, don’t let your emotions control you

Learn to cope with change

Consider the emotions of the other person

Remember the power of silence

Don't criticize, condemn or complain

Tips on Influencing & Negotiating

Influencing - creates a change in behaviour, attitude, opinion or perception

Manipulation - creates a change in behaviour, attitude, opinion or perception, with no regard towards other outcomes

Difference between Influencing & Manipulation

Influencing

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When you dovetail your outcomes with the person you are hoping to influence, your chances of influence are increasing significantly.

When you seek to influence with only having your own outcome in mind, then you leave yourself wide open to resentment, recrimination, remorse and revenge.

In order to avoid manipulating, we should always seek to influence by dovetailing our objective or outcome with the other person’s outcomes.

Dovetailing your outcomes

7 skills/attributes for influencing

1. Trust & Integrity - admit mistakes and apologise. Distance yourself from anything that may be regarded as untrustworthy.

2. Presence - use your voice, be confident.

3. Credibility - lower your voice, speak slowly. Be consistent, be prepared to justify why you do things and who you are.

4. Group or Team instinct - whether we like it or not, we are highly influenced by the group that we identify with. Using phrases like “the team would like” rather than “I would like” is more powerful.

5. Avoid loss - presenting things in a way that demonstrates loss if they don’t act.

Most people are motivated to hang on to things that they fear might be lost, than to be motivated by things that they haven’t got yet.

6. Building commitment - encourage people to make small commitments, don’t try to engage people on huge marathons. A small commitment could be easier to achieve.

7. Story telling - everyone responds to a story, it might be insignificant, but if you are trying to make a point build it and link it to a story.

7 skills/attributes for influencing

Getting results - options

Imposed – “I decide”

Consulted – “I seek opinion and then I decide”

Negotiated – “We decide” (mixed power)

Working towards a “win-win” situation

HIGH HEELS PROJECTLeonardo da Vinci –

Transfer of Innovation

2012-1-BG1-LEO05-06924

COPYRIGHT© Copyright 2013 High Heels Consortium

Consisting of:BULGARIAN CONSTRUCTION CHAMBER (BG)CONSTRUCTION TRAINING CENTER (BG)AR CI PROFESSIONAL CENTRE Ltd (BG)MILITOS EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES &SERVICES (GR)KNOWL (GR)RNDO Ltd (CY)STEJAR CENTER OF RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT & EXCELLENCE (RO)

This document may not be copied, reproduced, or modified in whole or in part for any purpose without written permission from the High Heels Consortium. In addition an acknowledgement of the authors of the document and all applicable portions of the copyright notice must be clearly referenced.All rights reserved.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Transferring the University of Salford’s award winning training programme: “‘Women and Work: Sector Pathways Initiative” (2010)