Early in my career, I noticed that one of the accelerators of people/business results is Negotiation Competence.

Negotiations are usually understood as a buying-selling process, during which each side seeks benefits for itself. This perception does not generate the best feelings, because it requires to fight for one’s own benefit, and the fight does not create long-term collaboration, which can emerge through the co-creation of negotiations.
In our culture, the negotiation principles of the Power Strategy still dominate. However, I see that, as business awareness evolves, the traditional Power Strategy is losing its relevance and influence. Both in business deals and within companies, the need to fight and win benefits only for oneself is shifting toward a broader search for meaning in negotiation outcomes. This new approach opens up space for openness, creativity, trust, and sustainable business relationships. I believe that sustainable agreements will be those that we evaluate not based on how much benefit we gained for ourselves but by how much value we created in the negotiation process - for ourselves, our negotiation partners, and the world at large.

If your field of activity is Procurement or Sales, negotiations are typically seen as an inherent part of the job. However, if your work is related to HR, IT, Finance, Projects, Production, Logistics, Quality Assurance or other areas, negotiations are often assumed to happen naturally. If you can speak, you can negotiate. This assumption is one of the key reasons behind stereotypical thinking that limits the potential within organizations.

If you aim for aligned long-term goals, a strategic and modern approach to negotiations and their culture is necessary for the entire organization, not just within specific departments.