Negotiation: When Others Negotiate for You

By: Grande Lum

Most negotiations do not just involve the people at the table.  You are often either negotiating on behalf of someone else or someone is negotiating for you.  Especially as you get promoted and have more people reporting to you, you may face more situations where you will be managing, coaching and mentoring others. This may be challenging for individuals who are accustomed to getting things done on their own. The difference is that you must now enable others to be successful for the most part without your direct involvement in the negotiations.  First, I will identify benefits of having someone negotiate on your behalf.  Secondly, I will suggest things you can do to help them.

Besides the obvious timesavings, fundamentally, the mindset to get any advantage is to first realize you want people to do a BETTER job than you would do in these negotiations.  Only by acknowledging that, can you realize the benefits of having someone negotiating for you.  You can then hire and cultivate others to do a better job. Bob Mnookin, Scott Peppet and Andrew Tulumello, in their negotiation book Beyond Winning, identify four benefits that the negotiator may have over you as the manager. 

Knowledge:  The negotiator may have a deeper understanding of the project (e.g. client, industry, market conditions) than you would as the manager.

Resources: The negotiator may have access and opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable. For example, the negotiator may have a network of people that can provide information or introductions that you might not have,

Skills: Because of skills, background or training, the person may be a better negotiator than you are.  For example, you might have your human resources person handle salary and benefits discussion, because they do it all the time and know the ins and outs.

Strategic Advantages: Let's say you are in conflict with the other party.  Having someone negotiate on your behalf may allow for a more collaborative result.  On the other hand, having someone be more assertive in bargaining can help maintain your relationship. Always be wary of how such strategy is implemented and perceived by the other party.  It can backfire if not done or seen well by the other party.

The following are four things that I would suggest that you can do to help individuals who negotiate on your behalf:

Overcommunicate:  Spend lots of time listening. Especially if it is a new relationship, keeping each other in the loop is critical.  Ask lots of questions. Use the opportunity to learn from your negotiators. You and your negotiator will have different sets of “data.” Those individuals meet with you and not your negotiator.  Your negotiator meets with the client and often you are not privy to those meetings.  Exchanging information increases understanding and allows for mutual persuasion. 

Macromanage:  Trying to create miniature versions of yourself usually does not work.  Great managers seemingly allow for diverse styles in the people they manage.  Focusing on the results, looking at the pros and cons of different approaches and not being stuck to one “right” way will allow your negotiators to increase confidence and comfort. 

Solidify Space: Be clear on the parameters of decisionmaking and authority.  What is the within the negotiator's authority to decide? What is not?  Have this conversation before the person begins negotiating. This, in and of itself, is a negotiation. This is also called “negotiating inside out.”  The better your “internal” discussion, the better the outcome of the “external” negotiation will likely turn out.  A bad result that often occurs is coming back to renegotiate because a person overstepped their boundaries.

Align Interests: Because you and the individuals who negotiate on your behalf are different people with different positions, it is important to discuss what drives each of you. There are fundamental things like evaluations and salary structure.  For example, what leads each of you to a commission or bonus is a strong motivator. Other things include your career, personal and family goals.  Being explicit with each other on your preferences and desires can help prevent distrust later.