In this episode, hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome discuss how the skills of negotiation and influence impact various stages of the project lifecycle, from defining scope and timelines to managing stakeholder expectations and building consensus within the team. The conversation covers essential skills such as critical thinking, emotional intelligence, effective communication, and the power of conviction. Through examples and personal experiences, they emphasize the importance of empathy and combining logic with emotion to achieve meaningful and positive results. This episode aims to improve project management methods by focusing on the human side of the profession.

Main Take-Aways

Negotiation and influence are critical aspects of a project leader’s skillset to be able to develop strong relationships and deliver exceptional results:

• applying negotiation and influence in all aspects of the project lifecycle
• understanding essential skills required for better negotiation results
• building trust and rapport with team and stakeholders
• the power of conviction, vision, and empathy in enhancing your negotiation skills

Show Notes

Today’s Project Managers Coffee Chat: Essential Skills for Effective Negotiation

00:27 Reviewing our understanding of negotiation and influence from the previous podcast episode.

01:05 Applying negotiation and influence in the project lifecycle: initiating the project, dealing with the various stakeholder groups, dealing with conflict, and/or adapting to change.

03:11 Essential skills for effective negotiation include the following: critical thinking, problem solving, emotional intelligence, communication skills, and active listening.

06:19 Using the essential skills for effective negotiation to build trust and rapport with your teams and stakeholders. Negotiation and influence are a result of establishing rapport/ relationships.

08:57 The power of conviction in influencing those you are negotiating with.

11:00 The power of vision in compelling others to take action. Using vision to implement the spirit of the agreement, not just the letter of the agreement. Envisioning the end result that will positively affect the lives of your end users.

14:11 The power of personal fulfillment, emotional commitment, and empathy to influence and negotiate with your team to deliver remarkable results.