Technical Program Management: A Practitioner's Guide/

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Negotiation

Negotiation

Let’s look at the importance of possessing negotiation skills as a TPgM.

We'll cover the following...

Negotiating with stakeholders

To be a successful technical program manager, you must possess excellent negotiation skills to communicate and work effectively with stakeholders, including executives, product managers, engineering teams, and other departments involved in the program.

Negotiation is the process of finding common ground between parties with different needs, goals, and perspectives. This requires empathy, active listening, and the ability to communicate clearly and concisely.

Practical scenarios

When we think of the word “negotiation,” we may think of two people haggling down over a price or a contract. However, there are many common scenarios where negotiation skills come into play. And for the most part, it is simply a game of communication. Consider these scenarios:

  • Resource allocation: When multiple programs or projects compete for limited resources, you may need to negotiate with other program managers to secure the necessary resources for their program. Negotiation skills can be used to determine the resource allocation process, identify resource constraints, and create a win-win solution that benefits both programs. This may involve collaborating with other program managers to find creative solutions, such as sharing resources or adjusting timelines.

  • Prioritization: In situations with competing priorities, you may need to negotiate with stakeholders to determine which priorities should take precedence. Negotiation skills can be used to communicate the impact of different priorities on the program's goals and objectives and to identify common ground between stakeholders. This may involve setting clear expectations for what can be accomplished within a given timeframe or identifying ways to mitigate the impact of lower-priority items on the program's overall success.

  • Scope changes: When stakeholders request changes to the program's scope, you may need to negotiate the impact of those changes on the program timeline, budget, ...