Due to our involvement with NBA teams, SNI has been keeping a close eye on the NBA lockout. The following link is to an interesting article on the NBA’s labor negotiations.

Click here to view the article

Getting a Raise Using the Prep Planner:

In today’s economic environment, it is harder than ever to get a raise at work.  On the other hand, people who have not had raises in several years may be in a great position to get that raise.  When we talk about effective preparation, it is important to have precedents to establish the justification of the salary you will request.  There are several precedents you can use:

Find out what other similar jobs pay (you can find them at payscale.com and glassdoor.com.)

Use prior percentages of increases that you have received in the past to justify that percentage again.

Uncover possible examples of ‘bonus for performance’ opportunities that have been given by your company.

Look for ancillary economic benefits provided to others in the organization such as company cars, additional vacation days, or opportunities to work from home.

While precedents are important to establish, the other elements of the preparation planner, such as you alternatives (and theirs), interests (what can you do to help the business make/save money), and walk away (your willingness to leave if you do not get the raise you want). 

While asking for a raise in these challenging times is difficult, it is often said: “much is lost for the want of asking…”

SNI chairman, Ron Shapiro, had the pleasure of speaking at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law on the key principles of effective negotiations. During his presentation, Ron introduced SNI’s systematic approach to getting what you want while building stronger relationships. Follow the attached link to view Ron’s presentation. 

Click here to view Ron’s presentation.

The man who discovered Oprah, Dennis Swanson, former Chicago TV exec, recalls how it all unfolded in 1983:

“Well, you know, she had the best attorney in Baltimore, Ron Shapiro, who handled Brooks Robinson, a lot of the Orioles, who were a championship team at that time. The tricky part of it was, her contract didn’t expire until the end of the year. But then, the people that had the contract had a 60-day option in there, and I said to Shapiro, I said, ‘We’ll wait till January 1, because she’s worth waiting for, but I can’t wait the 60 days beyond that.’ He negotiated out of that. We put her on the air the first of January, and we were in last place when we put her on the air – and we won the February (ratings) less than a month later.”

 Click on the attached link to find out more about the role SNI Chairman, Ron Shapiro, played in the early years of Oprah Winfrey’s career.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/21/earlyshow/saturday/main20065017.shtml

Negotiations deadlock for many reasons. When both sides refuse to budge, it’s time to be creative. Here are some guidelines to get the other side talking again:

• Start Over. When Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev deadlocked during arms talks, Reagan reached across the table and said, “Hello, Mikhail, my name is Ron, and I think it’s time we talked about the arms race.” This broke the tension and led to meaningful discussions. 
• Keep a Secret. Some negotiations stall because negotiators want to please third parties (such as bosses). If you suspect this, assure the other person that you’ll keep the conversation’s details confidential. The negotiator won’t worry that something he says will get back to the boss. 
• Recount interests. Don’t talk about positions – focus on each side’s real needs. Say, for example, “It seems you’re most interested in delivery to meet your customers’ timetable.” If the other party agrees, ask, “What do you think are my main interests?” Highlighting the main interests, rather than side issues, helps you create room for new solutions.

Excerpted from The Power of Nice. Ronald M. Shapiro and Mark A. Jankowski.