As a developer, are negotiation skills a must?

As a general rule, the term “negotiation” makes you think of people closing big deals, dealing with major figures. However, this Hollywood image is incomplete, since negotiations happen on a regular basis in most jobs, regardless of your position.

Most key players in the IT industry negotiate on a daily basis, inadvertently. This industry demands for constant training. However, negotiation skills are usually not part of the training and, when faced with negotiation scenarios, people are not up to par.

As a developer, these are some of the possible scenarios:

• When planning, we negotiate when defining a sprint, even further when we need to explain our commitment to a third party.
• During refinement, making and justifying your estimations can also turn into a negotiation.
• We negotiate when a client changes the scope of the work and we know it cannot be done in the timeframe given. This negotiation might be a difficult one.

These are client-related scenarios. Yet, there are others where we negotiate within the organization, apart from our salary.

• We negotiate with our coworkers when we need their help or when we need someone to cover for us. It may be a simple request we know our colleague will agree to or, maybe, we will have to offer something in return.
• As Managers or Directors, we will negotiate every time an unusual request or complaint is presented to us.

When we negotiate, we negotiate with someone else, which is why knowing what kind of negotiators are out there is very helpful. We can divide negotiators into two major groups:

• Confrontational negotiators: all they care about is winning the zero-sum game. Whatever they win is taken from their opponent.
• Cooperative negotiators: they put the relationship first. They can see beyond specific positions and try to understand the other party’s needs. They try to find creative solutions that will benefit both parties.

An excellent example of confrontational negotiators are car salespersons. The more they take from the buyer, the better.

A cooperative negotiator is, for example, an entrepreneur who, in an emergency, offers a time extension to his/her client for the payment of outstanding bills, since he/she understands the other party and prioritizes the long-term relationship with the client.

Confrontational negotiators are, in turn, divided into three categories:

• “Bulldog”: it is bloodthirsty, aggressive and even arrogant, and does not care about the other party at all. The more it gets, the better.
• “Fox”: it is also interested in the biggest piece of cake, but it will be inconspicuous about it. It may sometimes be perceived as a cooperative player, but it will only be a strategy to move an inch closer into the ground.
• “Deer”: it is the opposite of a negotiator. It escapes confrontation and prefers losing to facing an intense negotiation. It does not negotiate, it does not confront, it only says yes in order to end the process as soon as possible.

As a developer (or analyst, QA, UX or any other related-role), you will probably come across Bulldogs and Foxes among your clients. Finding a Deer is very unlikely, yet not impossible. Luckily, you will find many cooperative negotiators.

When faced with a Bulldog client, you need to handle tough situations carefully since facing him or her in the open may not be the best way to go. So, when an unreasonable (and most likely, rudely presented) request is made, you should avoid setting anything in stone and escalate the problem to those people who can handle the situation more delicately. Easier said than done.

The procedure is very similar with Fox clients. The most difficult part will be identifying your client as a fox. When faced with situations where you feel forced into something you are not comfortable with, the same strategy used with the Bulldog may work.

Even though it is rather unusual, when dealing with a Deer, you should consider your interests and your client’s rather than taking advantage of the situation, and try to create a cooperative environment prioritizing the long-term relationship with your client.

Alternatively, you should value and appreciate the relationship with a cooperative client. This is the best, most efficient and productive way to work and the space where you will work more freely.

As for negotiation within the organization, your stance should never be the one of a Bulldog or a Fox, since these are both ways out of the company. If you negotiate as a Deer, you will probably end up frustrated and stressed out. Cooperative negotiation is the obvious choice to guarantee a healthy and long relationship.

Negotiating is a task inherent to most IT roles and it takes up more space as your seniority increases. You will not learn to negotiate overnight; it takes time and training and it should be seen as one more challenge to overcome. In addition, as a bonus, it is a skill that will be very helpful in your life, as well. In the words of Chester L. Karrass, you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.

Juan Granillo Saizar — Sr. Delivery Manager @ Spark Digital