The impact of virtual negotiation training for female faculty.

Abstract

We developed a virtual interactive course for female faculty/practicing physicians and trainees to hone their skills in negotiation and sought to evaluate the impact of this on their knowledge, comfort, and skill in negotiation. We surveyed participants as to their comfort and experience with negotiation before and after the course, as well as three months later. Of the 102 participants in the faculty course, 55 (53.9%) were academic ladder faculty, and 47 (46.1%) were in surgery or a surgical subspecialty. Participants were significantly more comfortable with negotiation initiation, strategy, and post-settlement settlement after the course (p < 0.001 for each). 91.1% found the course valuable, 92.9% felt their knowledge about negotiation increased, and 85.7% wished they would have taken this course earlier. 98.2% stated they were likely to use some of the things they learned in this course in future. Three months later, 40.7% of respondents stated they had used what they had learned: 57.7, 41.7, and 32.0% had negotiated for pay, promotion, or job-related perks, respectively. These negotiations went "better than expected" in 26.6, 30, and 37.5%, respectively. Prior to the course, only 3 (2.9%) felt that their last negotiation went "very well" or better; three months after the course, 28% felt their last negotiation after the course went "very well" or "extremely well" (p = 0.002). Negotiation training can have a significant impact on female physicians' comfort in initiating negotiation, negotiation strategy and post-settlement discussions. Such training significantly increases "better than expected" negotiations.