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Packaging Horizons WIN/WIN Women Negotiation is a skill that savvy women wield for their companies and for their careers. By Jennifer Farrell Women are learning that negotiation skills are a vital tool they must master and use daily to accomplish the goals of their employers and themselves. While women are not yet commonly found jockeying for power in high-level negotiating sessions, they're getting there. Take Deirdre Donnelly, VP for Durable Mailers at Sealed Air, Saddle Brook, NJ. In a past job, she was a materials manager for a sizable manufacturing plant and wanted to make some significant changes. As the only woman on the plant floor, she faced an uphill battle. The system in place created an inventory build-up. She wanted to implement a Just In Time (JIT) system. To accomplish her goal she knew the plant manager had to be convinced, and that meant some heavy-duty negotiating. Clearly, Donnelly was up to the challenge. After starting her career in manufacturing, she learned the ropes of marketing and product management. With considerable experience in the nuts-and-bolts end of the business behind her, plus an MBA in her arsenal, she was adept at getting things done in a male-dominated industry. Donnelly consulted with others who also wanted the change, explored the options and gathered data. "We presented a business model that showed the savings we could accrue," she recalls. Still not persuaded, the manager wanted more proof. A clever negotiator, Donnelly knew that she had to limit her manager's risks and get others involved so that everyone felt ownership. What she negotiated for was the opportunity to implement the JIT method on one line. It eventually proved to be a successful venture. "Negotiation is a huge part of life," says Rachel Kenyon, marketing communications manager at Weyerhaeuser in Chicago, IL. Coming from the construction industry, Kenyon now handles new product marketing. "Everything," she says, "develops from the way you deal with others." Romeo McNairy, director of corporate diversity and worklife planning at Ford Motor Co., had to negotiate to get a new "Men and Women as Colleagues" program up for discussion at the executive committee. McNairy got the committee members to emotionally connect to the diversity and gender issues that he knew were vital to Ford's position as a global company by conducting diversity focus groups. "We have people from all over the world working here in Detroit," says McNairy, who adds that the ability to negotiate assignments, team participation, projects, budgets and timing demands a new way of communication in a workplace that has expanded demographically and geographically. In place since May 1997, the workshop is designed to go beyond the awareness of differences between groups and into the way men and women communicate--and thus negotiate. "In the United States, if we talk about diversity issues, we're talking about race and gender," explains McNairy. "But race may not be a heavy hitter in other countries. In coming up with this program, we knew that the issue of gender was global, so we put our concentration there." Sustaining the foundation Being able to build and sustain relationships is the cornerstone of successful negotiation tactics, a fact that Lesley Shapleigh works with just about every day. The relationships she has developed with her outside suppliers pay off in her job as senior package development engineer for hair, skin and body care at Helene Curtis in Chicago. Her department takes a brand from concept to reality. Most of the suppliers she negotiates with are men, but that has not presented any obstacles to Shapleigh. Where she does have to use her negotiating skills is finding the middle ground between marketing and suppliers. In these negotiating sessions, she is the mediator. "Design wants a certain shape, color and graphic, but the supplier can't achieve exactly what they want due to manufacturing constraints, and the two sides take their positions," says Shapleigh, who explains that her job is to get them to step outside their comfort zones. Successful negotiation is not always just about winning a battle. You might get what you want initially but lose in the long run because you've destroyed relationships along the way. "You want to know that there was integrity, dialogue and input from both parties that led to a solution," says Sara King, director of open enrollment programs at the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, NC. If not, you could be burning bridges in the interest of winning an argument. "Think of negotiation as a communication process that focuses on the problem, not on the people," explains King. When you focus on the benefits of the solution for all parties, then you've achieved your goal. Jennifer Farrell is a contributing writer on career issues for Packaging Horizons Magazine. Professional Development Characteristics of A Savvy Negotiator Plan well in advance Successful negotiators prepare their strategies well in advance. Develop patience Winning the battle sometimes happens in increments. Even if you lose one round, you might be able to come back later with more data or another way of attacking the problem. Understand the corporate culture It is crucial to understand the culture within which the people you are negotiating with operate. "When you tie politics to negotiation, oftentimes the unwritten rules in an organization determine how things get done," explains Sara King, director of open enrollment programs at the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, NC. Don't take opposition as a personal attack Being able to read into circumstances is a quality that women often bring with them into negotiations. But their sensitivity can lead them to take things personally, says Rachel Kenyon, marketing communications manager at Weyerhaeuser in Aurora, IL. Professional Attributes What Women Bring to the Table Women have unique qualities that give them an advantage in negotiations. Being able to see things from a different point of view is one. Rachel Kenyon, marketing communications manager at Weyerhaeuser, notes that men, who usually have a background of competitive sports, look at a difference of opinions as a challenge to overcome. Women in the same situation are more willing to find out what the other person's position is and want to explore all the options. Lesley Shapleigh, senior package development engineer at Helene Curtis, works with women more often than not. She observes that a room full of women hammering out an agreement are more detail-oriented and thus willing to work with each other. Their aim is consensus-building, not confrontation. 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