Are you turning your negotiations into deal-making opportunities where everyone involved achieves more? Sounds ideal, right? This type of negotiation is called an integrative negotiation - where parties develop interest-based, “win-win” solutions to problems so that the negotiators achieve more positive outcomes compared to what they would have gained by using a distributive, “I win- you lose,” competitive negotiation strategy. But in order to attain an integrative outcome, you must learn how to create value and then how to claim it.

The coronavirus pandemic has done a lot to disrupt our lives, from how we shop to where we work, to how our children are educated. With contemporary crises and disruption also comes opportunity.

In response to this unprecedented threat, contrasting leadership attitudes have brought about seemingly better outcomes for some countries over others. Statistically, female-led countries were quicker to lockdown and had a lower rate of COVID fatalities than male-led countries. While many male leaders were hesitant to admit the presence of the crisis and did not seize the opportunity to make timely and appropriate decisions, countries with female leaders, such as New Zealand, Iceland, and Germany, recognized the threat of the virus, consulted experts, and made quick and effective decisions.

Every year, October 11th is observed as the International Day of the Girl. UNICEF launches an annual campaign with adolescent girls to amplify their voices and stand up for their rights. This year’s theme was “My Voice, Our Equal Future”. Inspired, we wanted to take the opportunity to address the driving factor that keeps girls from raising their hand in class, from projecting their voices, and as an adult, keeps them from asking for more: confidence.

You have incredible potential. Yet, sometimes it feels as if the world is stacked against us and we can’t help but doubt all of the value we provide.

As soon as something goes wrong in our lives, as humans, we tend to fall into thinking “traps” and develop a negative thinking pattern. These internal thinking patterns can keep us from being our most confident, productive, and successful self. Not only do they prevent us from achieving our goals, but they can have a serious effect on our health.

Negative thinking patterns are the source of tremendous emotional suffering and misery. In fact, they’re the key drivers of both depression and anxiety.

Imagine being surrounded by a group of negative people, who constantly belittle you and put you down. The constant barrage of negativity would start to get to you. This is exactly what negative thinking can do to your mind.

In 1963, the Equal Pay Act was signed into law, making it illegal for employers to pay their workers lower wages solely because of their gender. Today, 57 years later, the wage gap still disproportionately affects women but it impacts some women even more than others. Indigenous American women face the second-largest wage gap, earning only 42% of what White men make. Indigenous groups have had their own set of unique challenges over the last 200 years that have led to ongoing social problems and implications for employment and economic attainment.

We sat down with Stephanie Poston (Pueblo of Sandia), who founded her own consulting communications firm, Poston & Associates LLC, 18 years ago. We wanted to learn more about her mission, how COVID-19 has impacted Indigenous communities, and what individuals and companies alike can do to mitigate the wage gap.

Despite the fact that there are now more women than men with college and graduate school degrees today, women still face a gender pay gap. A few companies, like Microsoft, have responded to this challenge by becoming more transparent about their pay practices. But the reality remains that most companies are not ready to make drastic changes to their policies. Therefore, each of us has to take responsibility for narrowing our own pay gap.

Here are some tips for how to narrow your pay gap.

While women are slowly climbing the corporate ladder, barriers still exist for many women in the workplace. There is still a shortage of women in leadership positions and for women of color, the numbers are even smaller. As many companies strive to create a more inclusive culture for women, core to this issue is the unconscious bias that occurs throughout the hiring (and promotion) process.

There’s a troubling pattern where women’s and minority’s competencies and experiences are consistently being overlooked. Efforts to diversify workforces has proven to be difficult.

We sat down with Cherise Bernard, the Campus Team Lead at Spotify, to uncover what other companies can do in order to help eliminate bias and create a more inclusive culture.

Negotiation is not easy, especially when it comes to pay. But coming prepared with your outlined goals, and having done your research, will put you in a stronger position and help you feel more confident. Here are five tips to arm you for your next salary negotiation.

Workplace changes have placed new pressures on how we communicate. It is important to find ways to deconstruct those pressures in a positive, deliberate manner to help improve your virtual relationships and work environment. Improving our emotional intelligence is key.

As we continue to grow and adapt to working remotely (and with the additional challenge of masks when face to face), emotional intelligence can feel elusive but that is what makes it so critical. Emotional Intelligence is most commonly defined as the ability to 1) recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions, 2) perceive and influence the emotions of others, and 3) cope with challenges, manage stress, and make decisions. In more practical terms, it means being aware of how our emotions can drive our behavior and impact people (both positively and negatively).

One thing many of the top performing professionals, athletes, and business people have in common is a support system. Most know that in order to optimize their performance they need to recruit a professional, aka a coach, to help them overcome obstacles, serve as a sounding board, and guide them towards improvement.

Although a negotiation coach is similar to a business coach in both importance and guidance, the reasons why you would seek out one over the other are different. Outlined here are 6 top reasons you might need a negotiation coach and how their guidance can benefit your overall career and personal life.

We all walk around with our own set of limiting beliefs. Like your “mean girl” high school friends, who are exceptionally adept at projecting their own insecurities onto you, leaving you feeling lousy and dejected but unsure why.

These limiting beliefs are often sneaky — working on a subliminal level or just under the radar, masquerading as logic and rationale. They beg to be thrown in as justifications or excuses and are closely linked with fear of failure and rejection. We discuss how to identify and overcome these beliefs that continuously hold you back.

One hundred years ago, in August 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed in the United States. Experts would argue that the 19th amendment "does not give women the right to vote," it rather prohibits "any discrimination based on sex." The historic Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 was a small spark to what would soon be a blazing fire. And just like any other movement in civil rights history, it took years of hard work and push back.

This year, August 13th is recognized as Black Women’s Equal Pay Day. This day symbolizes how far into the year, Black women must work to earn the same as her White male counterpart in the previous year. The wage gap can be attributed to a number of factors, but bias is one significant hurdle. Black women are unique as they rest in the intersection of gender and racial discrimination. On average, Black women earn 62 cents for every dollar their white non-Hispanic male counterparts earn. If nothing changes, the pay gap won't close for more than 100 years for Black women and women of color.

We sat down with 6 powerful Black female leaders, from diverse backgrounds and industries to discuss corporate bias, to see if the Black Lives Matter movement had shifted perspectives in the workplace, and seek their advice to help rising young Black female professionals.

Since the introduction of pay history bans across the United States, recruiters have been looking for new ways to ask the old question, “What is your current compensation?” Although it is illegal in many states for employers to pay different wages to men and women for the same work, and even to ask the question about past salary benchmarks, there is still a significant pay gap between genders. Discover why this question is asked and the best ways for you to answer it.

Child care challenges have always been a barrier to work, especially for mothers. With all the uncertainty caused by COVID-19, parents are struggling to find child care solutions. Here you can find options for child care solutions and ways you can negotiate with your employer to subsidize this care.

With the unemployment rate at an alarming 11.1% as of July 2, 2020 (According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics) and over 16 million people out of jobs, the idea of being furloughed, laid off, or fired is a looming reality for many Americans. But in this case, misery does not like the company. Being faced with a possible layoff, all you can think about is how your own little world is collapsing around you.

Before we dive into how to handle the conversation, should it arise, there are some ways to protect yourself and minimize your chances of a layoff before even facing downsizing or company cutbacks.

Virtual negotiations have been on the rise since the advancement of technology in the workplace. But with COVID-19 forcing business and other operations to scramble for at-home solutions, online negotiations increased by the tenfold. Technology, with all of its conveniences, can also complicate things during a negotiation.

With all of its challenges, virtual negotiations also come with its advantages. The distance can create a greater chance of a win-win. If the other party is perceived to be far away (by several thousand feet), perspective changes to encompass the needs of the bigger picture. Here are some tips to improve your performance in your next virtual negotiation!

Many people, especially women, find negotiations to be stressful conversations. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the challenges you could encounter when faced with an upcoming business deal or negotiating your salary. Yet, the art of negotiation is a skill anyone can master, at any age.

It can take a long time for discussions to reach a deal, which is why it’s important for you to do your research on what pitfalls to avoid so you can get the most optimal outcome and not leave money on the table. If you avoid the following ten mistakes, you're sure to gain advantages in your next negotiation.

CO-FOUNDER & LEAD CONSULTANT, TETRACORE CONSULTING + WIN COACH

When you are Designed Differently you approach business, conflicts, life, and work creatively, optimistically, positively, and head-on. As a matter of fact, the present times make it clear and evident that leaders must lead differently, reframe their business stance, policies, procedures, and protocols, and embrace the Un-. Many people dislike being “Un” anything. No one wants to be uncertain, unprepared, unprofessional, unrealistic, unsettled, or unsure.