When it comes to career negotiations, Murphy has noticed that while some professionals have been ... [+]
Leah Murphy is a certified professional coach, author and Founder of Career Gems for the Journey, a coaching consultancy aimed at helping professionals build confidence and thrive in their careers. She joined Negotiate Anything to share her best advice for confidently engaging in conversations on compensation and negotiating the offer of your dreams.
Why We Fail to Negotiate
When it comes to career negotiations, Murphy has noticed that while some professionals have been coached and guided on how to do it successfully, others have been left out of opportunities for education or training.
“I think women of color have been left out of the conversation or out of the training and development when it comes to getting those basic skills around negotiation,” she shared. “Some of them have never had the opportunity to negotiate because they don’t even know they can. They are challenged by the idea of ‘is it appropriate?’ or they don’t have the language.”
Beyond women of color, it’s common for professionals to fear they will be perceived negatively should they choose to ask for more compensation.
Through her work, Murphy combats this fear by equipping her clients with the right language, confidence and tools to both identify and go after the opportunities that exist.
“My path to helping people learn how to negotiate is to really think about it as a mutually beneficial, relationship-driven, respect motivated conversation.”
The Role of Mutual Respect
As part of her approach, Murphy is adamant that mutual respect be a foundation for any negotiation. She encourages professionals to dig deep and determine whether or not there is mutual respect between them and their counterpart or them and the organization. If not, she strongly advises walking away from the table.
According to Murphy, one way to tell is to consider whether or not it feels like one side has to lose and one has to win. Instead, she emphasizes the importance of asking questions.
“If we’re not asking any questions, we’re not negotiating,” she shared. “If we’re not learning what the priorities are - to the other person on the other side of the table- we aren’t negotiating well.”
Lack of respect also tip-toes onto another important consideration in salary negotiations: self-worth. It’s common for professionals to attach their personal value or worth to salary. The fear of this value being rejected or the negative associations that come with pushback can cause negotiations to fail, or workers to avoid the conversation altogether.
“That’s part of the fear,” Murphy explained. “If I know the truth, am I still who I perceive myself to be?”
That said, she reminded listeners that with confidence, and proper research, professionals can approach the conversation knowing exactly what compensation is appropriate for their title or work. This helps remove the sting of rejection, because if there is pushback, it may signal that the wrong person is at the table.
Winning Total Compensation
When it comes to success in these negotiations, Murphy encourages her clients to look beyond salary alone, something she knows can be difficult for many.
“Salary is one element of compensation but it’s also the area where people get the most hung up,” she said. “But there are all kinds of other areas where you can find compensation outside of salary - if you ask the right questions.”
Murphy has found that for many professionals there is an emotional connection to a salary number, especially as a marker of success. Keeping that in mind, she encouraged listeners to think of where else money may live, as well as what other opportunities may be beneficial. Common examples include: stock investments, flexible schedules, tuition reimbursement, help with childcare, education, professional development opportunities and more.
Prior to entering the negotiation, she encourages people to think about the other intangible benefits that would be equally valuable to their success at work and at home. She reminded listeners that this will be much easier to do before you accept an offer.
Through his work, Murphy hopes to inspire professionals to think differently about negotiation. Rather than viewing it as an oppositional conversation where one must win, she encourages her clients to view it as a universal skill that can help you gain more of what you want in life and business.
“Negotiation can be applied to every level of business - no matter what you’re doing, what your role is or what your title is,” she shared. “It’s really a matter of developing that skill-set and building the confidence to be able to show up and see the opportunity as one you can make more advantageous to yourself, your team or your organization.”
For more information on Leah Murphy or to explore opportunities for career coaching, visit www.gemsforthejourney.org. To listen to the full episode, click here.
