Nearly everything in life is negotiable to some extent or another. As an American woman, this has been a realization that has been particularly slow to come to me, because I was raised to do what I was told to do without asking questions, and certainly without ever negotiating over the details. On the contrary, you should negotiate Everything.
Now I’ve learned, and I’m sharing with you – negotiate everything in the workplace. You do not need to ask permission to negotiate. Be polite, but be firm. You must also be very clear about what you are trying to accomplish, and what your goals are. You may negotiate, and do not need permission to do so.
You may negotiate pay, job responsibilities, due dates, and even to some extent who you are assigned to work with. I’m not encouraging you to be obnoxious about it, but for the things which are important, I’m encouraging you to negotiate.
Negotiate Everything, Including:
- Pay
- Job Responsibilities
- Job Assignments
- Due Dates
- Work Team
I am sure that there are plenty of things that I have not mentioned here. Those are negotiable too. Even death and taxes are negotiable, to some extent – so do what you have to do, and negotiate.
Next: Anticipate Need
