Episode: 299

Episode Title: Negotiation is Not a Debate

When negotiating, you want to keep the conversation grounded in your experience rather than make blanket statements. Here’s why, next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 299 show:

Hello and welcome—you are now in The Perna Syndicate! This week, we’re talking about how to negotiate with your boss, specifically about continuing to work from home as your office reopens.  

There have been so many studies about the benefits of remote work to the workforce as a whole. You may be tempted to start researching numbers and stats to back up your case, but don’t go too far down that road. You can look up a few compelling facts to bolster your points, but never forget that they’re YOUR points. 

This isn’t a research project or a courtroom argument. When you’re sharing your reasons for wanting to continue working remotely, it’s a good idea speak from your own personal experience. You’ll want to use phrases like “I experienced,” “from my perspective,” “this is what I discovered,” and others like them.

This keeps the focus on your experience, which is harder to argue with than broad statements such as “everyone loves working from home” or “people are more productive outside the office.” Assertions like these may not be true for everyone and may weaken your case.

Grounding your points in your own experience also demonstrates a little humility. It shows you can recognize that your experience isn’t necessarily the standard for everyone else. It’s still valid, of course, but you drastically reduce the chances of the discussion turning into an argument when you make points that can’t be easily contradicted. Effective negotiation is a conversation—not a debate.

So you’re ready to have the conversation—but what if your boss wants a hybrid work arrangement with time split between home and the office? We’ll talk about the power of being flexible on tomorrow’s episode of The Perna Syndicate…see you then!