Technical Negotiation

Abstract

This paper discusses that today product development is about teamwork and there are teachable skills to provide more influence to engineers in group decisions. Though engineers may prefer working alone, a significant quantity of a team’s work takes place in a group. The impact that each team member has in these group settings, and therefore on the member’s own career, has as much to do with how one interacts within the team as it does with one’s technical skills. The development of negotiation training courses for professionals working with technology began before the authors developed their course. Both advocacy and inquiry, when well-practiced, are powerful negotiation skills. When properly used, they foster an inclusive environment, illuminate choices, and steer the conversation toward valuable options. A successful negotiation maintains relationships by ensuring that all parties to the negotiation feel included in the process. As a result, the team is more invested in the result as well. This helps team morale, which in turn, helps the employer.