Last week advantageSPRING’s Head of North America Devon Smiley was in Toronto meeting with partners and clients to discuss the impact negotiation skills training has on their teams. Today, she shares with us what she uncovered.
—–
Spending a week in Toronto was all about getting back to my roots, both personally (I’m a Toronto gal, born and raised) as well as when it comes to why I’m passionate about negotiation. I re-acquainted myself with the city, zipped between meetings and events, and met with clients, partners and some new friends. Two core truths about negotiation stood out to me during the visit:
Negotiation is everywhere
Far from being the exclusive domain of corporations, negotiation skills apply to everyone. As I connected with people at a networking event, I was inspired (though not at all surprised) to hear about all the different ways negotiation was helping people move ahead in their careers.
Academics learning how to negotiate for preferred class schedules or research funding. Physical therapists negotiating to secure much needed equipment for their patients. Teachers finding creative solutions to challenges with students, parents and administration. Fabulous to have negotiation step out of the boardroom, and into the university, hospital or classroom.
Impact beyond the bottom-line
One afternoon, I was sitting in an absolutely gorgeous conference room overlooking the financial district. The buildings were gleaming, and the non-stop scurrying of the cabs, cars and people down on Bay Street below was a reminder of the fast-paced, ambitious nature of business. But in contrast with the setting, the conversation I was having wasn’t centred on the financial benefit of bringing an advantageSPRING negotiation training workshop to a team – instead it was about the impact that improved negotiation skills have on employee engagement.
Yes, a firm’s bottom-line benefits when clients are signed and vendor deals are secured, but negotiation training is about more than that. It’s also about equipping employees to be stewards of their own career, and providing them with the skills they’ll need to be strong, engaged contributors to the organization. Enriching the professional development of your team can deliver ROI in many ways, for years to come.
—–
If your team is based in North America and you’d like to connect with Devon to learn more about advantageSPRING negotiation training programs, email her at [email protected], or contact advantageSPRING Head Office at [email protected].
0 Comments