In this episode, hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome delve into the critical skills of influence and negotiation for project managers. They discuss the symbiotic relationship between the two techniques, highlighting how influence sets the stage for successful negotiation and vice versa. The conversation covers practical strategies for leveraging these skills to gain stakeholder buy-in, resolve conflicts, and enhance project outcomes. They also stress the importance of ethical standards in maintaining trust and integrity throughout the negotiation and influence processes. This episode provides valuable insights for project managers aiming to improve their human-centric project management approaches.

Main Take-Aways

The project leader must learn the skills of influence and negotiation. You will be confronted with multiple challenges, whether from your stakeholders, management, or team. Therefore, being able to deftly handle these situations with influence and negotiation skills is paramount. This introductory episode on this topic stresses the importance of developing these skills:

• defining the terms to set the context
• using negotiation and influence strategically with stakeholders
• influencing self to reduce bias and opinion prior to entering negotiations
• using negotiation and influence strategically with team (e.g., conflicts and solution development)
• using influence when you have no direct authority
• understanding human nature and human behavior to enhance your ability to influence
• handling situations where you receive pushback
• maintaining ethical standards

Show Notes

Today’s Project Managers Coffee Chat: Negotiation and Influence in Leading Projects

00:27 Introducing the topic of influence and negotiation, key skills for the project manager to attain.

01:16 Defining the terms negotiation and influence, and their relationship to one another.

03:05 Using negotiation strategically to get results, especially when working with stakeholders.

04:53 Using influence strategically to get results, especially when working with stakeholders, but also to benefit yourself as the results are realized.

06:23 Using negotiation and influence strategically to get results, when working with internal stakeholders/management.

06:50 Influencing yourself to overcome biases and opinions before entering into negotiations.

08:36 Using negotiation and influence judiciously when working with your team, particularly in conflict resolution and problem solving.

09:53 Handling situations using your influence where you have no organizational authority.

12:35 Understanding human nature and human nature is a benefit to your ability to influence in any situation. Use your expert authority, charisma, and supportive nature. Learn your stakeholders’ business.

13:56 Handling situations where you receive pushback, resistance, and/or skepticism by preparing multiple options, by determining the root cause of the pushback, and by collaboratively working through the reason behind the resistance.

17:06 The importance of maintaining ethical standards in all aspects of negotiation and influence.