If You Don't, He Will. Negotiating Your UX CareerCarol Smith @carologic

Current Situation

• Prince Charming isn’t coming• Privilege is real (male, white, social, etc.)• Microagressions*

2http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20395222_20914989,00.html

*Responding to Sexist Microagressions: http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/01/responses-to-sexist-microaggressions/

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@Steve_Upton on Twitter - Sketchnotes from @kmdk and @ma_rylou's talk on women in tech at #uxce15

83%

17%

Web Designers By Gender (2009*)

Men Women

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/11/12/gender-disparities-in-the-design-field/

*Findings From A List Apart Survey 2009 (no longer available online)

66.5% of the same respondents

stated there is “definitely not” a gender bias in the design field. 

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Closing the Gender Gap in UX – 2014 Survey

• Not statistically significant different!!• Women 45 or younger make equal to or more than men• Men over 45 make more than women • 1355 Total Responses from 58 Countries• Salary Data converted to US Dollars

http://uxpa.org/resources/past-salary-surveys

Knowledge is Power

• Disparities in negotiation skill and comfort– Hurt your career– Can hurt users

• Don’t be too much like Pollyanna– World is not a safe friendly place– Protect yourself and your goals

What is Negotiation?

Discussion

aimed at reaching

an Agreement.

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What Does Negotiation Feel Like?

http://www.womendontask.com/stats.html© http://www.dreamstime.com/mocker_info#res11004428 http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photo-african-american-woman-caucasian-dentist-image11066205#res11004428

Why?

• Concern about process• Feel cornered• Lack of practice• Unprepared

http://www.WomenDontAsk.com/stats.html

Context Matters

Shoppinghttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidclow/http:///www.flickr.com/photos/davidclow/4985160810/sizes/o/in/photostream

In UX Context

• Negotiation on behalf of users for– Prioritization– Coordination– Feature inclusion– Wireframes to Final

Designs

11Wireframe: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AWolfplex-Wiki-WorkshopsIdeaList-wireframe-20130929-v02.pngBy Dereckson (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsBottom image: http://www.spydertrap.com/blog/2011/07/web-design-wireframes-plan-your-success/

Stories

Jay Laura

http://thirstyroots.com/dwele-hairstyle.html/98866_f27_1_011check-2http://www.flickr.com/photos/happykatie/2459583180/sizes/o/in/photostream/http://www.flickr.com/photos/happykatie/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

They both want to work here

http://www.79nm.com/massive-vision-doug-powell-on-ibm-design-thinking-march-27/

On paper they look the same

They both get offers!

Here’s the thing

Jay• Offered $70,000 to start• Negotiates his starting salary up• Gets $77,000

Laura• Offered $70,000 to start• Doesn’t negotiate

- $70,000 is great • Gets $70,000

Both get a raise of 3% each year

As they Continue to work

Jay• After 5 yrs making $89,264 • After 10 $103,482• After 15 $119,964

Laura• After 5 yrs making $81,121• After 10 $94,862• After 15 $109,019

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12567713@N00/3386157971/sizes/o/in/photostream/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/12567713@N00/

Compromise is GoalNo Losers!

Identify need

Research

Analyze data

Negotiate

Negotiation Life Cycle

Happy Endings

1. Prepare

• Identify your goals• Set high expectations• Understand value of your work experience

• Research who you are dealing with

• Until you are confident in yourself and your ask

Prepare

Know Your Facts

• Present research clearly– Salary Surveys– Similar job descriptions– Current Situation

• UX Research– Return on Investment (ROI)– 100x more to fix system after release (Gilb, 1988) – Jared Spool’s $300 Million Button

Bias, Randolph, G. and Deborah J. Mayhew. Cost-Justifying Usability: An Update for the Internet Age. 2005.Spool, Jared. The $300 Million Button. January 14, 2009. http://www.uie.com/articles/three_hund_million_button/

• Misunderstandings can block confidence and trust• Research to understand

– Perspective– Preferred strategies

Who are you dealing with?

• Your style of negotiation learned at a young age• Relationships

– Are you friends?– Do you already dislike each other?

• Stereotypes (yours and theirs)

Your Perspective

Culture Matters

• Locally and Internationally• Time and patience• Personal space• Nonverbal communication (e.g. eye Contact)• Listening vs. talking• Masculine-Feminine values

Maria

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UXPA Salary Survey

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2. Identify Your BATNA

Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement

BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiation Agreement)

• Course of action that will be taken if: – Current negotiations fail – Agreement cannot be reached

Fisher, Roger and William L. Ury. (1981) “Getting to YES: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In.” Penguin Group.

BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiation Agreement)

• Not the same as the walk away point

• What are you going to do?• What makes you happy?

• BATNA does not include the other party• Your alternative

Fisher, Roger and William L. Ury. (1981) “Getting to YES: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In.” Penguin Group.

BATNA (cont)

• The better your BATNA, the greater your power– Judge every offer against your BATNA– Don’t have to disclose

• They have a strong BATNA? – Best way to advance your respective interest

Fisher, Roger and William L. Ury. (1981) “Getting to YES: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In.” Penguin Group.

BATNA Benefits

• Better standard to measure agreements

• Protects you from: – Accepting terms too unfavorable– Rejecting terms in your interest to accept

• Gives you permission to explore creative solutions

Fisher, Roger and William L. Ury. (1981) “Getting to YES: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In.” Penguin Group.

3. Control the Message

• Delivery is clear• From someone we trust:

– Street cred– Knows where we’re coming from

When do we Best Hear a Message?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/4164756091/sizes/o/in/photostream/http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/

Make Yourself Heard

• Come from a place of authority• Consider your appearance• Use your credentials• Use their tactics as needed• Avoid becoming negative about previous experience

The Negotiation

May expect this…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/a_ninjamonkey/http://www.flickr.com/photos/a_ninjamonkey/3565672226/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Take a Moment – Find Your Seat

1.Chair

2.Other end– Reserve for the guest/presenter

3.Flanking Position– Influence flow, assist Chair

4.Middle Few– Soften or mitigate opposition– Near Chair and your opposition has to talk over or through you.

1 2

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3

Richard Winters, MD, http://www.richardwinters.com/seatsWhere Do You Sit In A Meeting? The 4 Power Positions

Your Approach – Deal With Facts

• Tell the story of your career• Agree to the job description, expectations, etc.• Clarify breaks in work, etc.

Shell, Richard G. (2006) Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People. Penguin Group

Keep Emotions Level

• Positive - other party wonders if "losing"• Negativity makes tense situations

Deflect attempts at intimidation or aggression

http://www.flickr.com/photos/trunglq/2561055473/sizes/z/in/photostream/http://www.flickr.com/photos/trunglq/

Be Your Own Advocate

• Set your sights high, but know your bottom line• Understand your options and role in outcome• BATNA

• Continue to develop• Use if needed

Shell, Richard G. (2006) Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People. Penguin Group

• Be Collaborative and Problem Solving– Discuss shared goals– Communicate effectively about your wants and goals

• Be a Good Listener• Resolve tough issues using fair standards and criteria (salary survey,

etc.)• Find the best solution for both parties

Get Them to Say Yes

Negotiate!

• Do not accept the first offer – ask for more– Concerned about greed? – Think about others – ask because other’s can’t– 'A rising tide lifts all the boats'

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Three Steps

1. Prepare - Research

2. BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement)

3. Control the message

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Be the Solution

• Help others around you• Tell others that negotiation is an option• Support people when they are unsuccessful• Speak up!

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Celebrate Success!

http://www.WomenDontAsk.com/stats.html

Were HiringAustin, TX

New York, NY

Pittsburgh, PA

And more…

Recommended Readings

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Twitter: @carologic

Emailsmithjc@us.ibm.comcarologic@gmail.com

slideshare.net/carologic

Contact Carol

• Babcock, L. and Sara Laschever. (2008). “Ask For It: How Women can use the Power of Negotiation to Get What They Really Want.” Bantam Books.

• Godin, Seth. (2010) “Linchpin: Are you Indispensable?” Penguin Group.• Ury. William L. (1991) “Getting Past NO: Negotiating in Difficult Situations.” Bantam. • Fisher, Roger and William L. Ury. (1981) “Getting to YES: Negotiating Agreement Without

Giving In.” Penguin Group.• Kennedy, Gavin. (2004). “Essential Negotiation.” The Economist and Profile Books LTD. • Lavington, Camille. (2004) “You’ve Only Got Three Seconds: How to make the right

impression in your business and social life.” Doubleday. • Lewicki, Roy J., et. Al. (2004) “Essentials of Negotiation.” McGraw-Hill Irwin. • Young, Ed. (2011) “Justice is served, but more so after lunch: how food-breaks sway the

decisions of judges.” Discover Magazine. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/04/11/justice-is-served-but-more-so-after-lunch-how-food-breaks-sway-the-decisions-of-judges/ Retrieved on October 24, 2011.

References