“You don’t get what you deserve. You get what you negotiate.”
It was the marketing tagline for a popular 1980s negotiating skills program. Personally, I find this concept absolutely exhausting. Do you really want to game every aspect of daily life?
I teach negotiation skills, and coach clients in negotiations. After 20 years of doing so, I’ve learned, there is a time to negotiate. But if you approach every situation with an eye to what you can get, you don’t emerge the winner.
Research from thought leaders like Adam Grant, the author of the groundbreaking “Give and Take,” reveals that hardball tactics often do more harm than good, to your reputation and your pocketbook. A negotiating mentality can have a chilling effect on your happiness as well.
Here are six counterintuitive tips to be a happier, more joyful and successful negotiator: