How to Turn the Negotiation Game into a Dance Floor

You ready for this? 

My client shared something so delightful, I asked her permission right away to share this genius bit of wisdom with you.

"I now realize that negotiation is creating space -- not a battlefield. I can carve out room to be curious and ask questions instead of feeling cornered into saying yes and committing too early," she said. 

In a previous session, we'd dived into ways she could better navigate workplace expectations, responsibilities, and boundaries. She'd arrived at this super fun realization.

Negotiation is space. I love that so much.

Now, bear with me as I mix metaphors, but this got me thinking about one of my all-time favorite pastimes: partner dancing. In this photo, my buddy Anna and I are getting our Brazilian Zouk groove on in my living room.

In partner dancing, two (or more) people sync up their moves and groove to the same beat. It's a conversation in motion, in space.

When you're responsible for your space and respect your partner's space, you turn a movement into a dance both sides can enjoy.

Sure, I get it. When you're knee-deep in a "death march" project at work (pulling 70+ hour weeks), negotiating deadlines can feel more like a grind than a dance.

But a small shift in perspective can help flip the script on how you deal with those out-of-the-blue demands for your time.

For my client, thinking of negotiation as creating space gave her a sense of AGENCY, freedom, and power.

And that, my friends, is how you turn the negotiation game into a dance floor.

Helping smart women like you get promoted and better paid with the best tools and metaphors possible while letting the process be authentic and fun is what my coaching series is all about.

CLICK HERE to open the page where you'll get answers to ALL the questions you've had about coaching with me, but were hesitant to ask or didn't even know to ask.