Negotiating for Continuous Improvement: Monitor and Assess Your Negotiation Skills

Many organizations subject their executives to rigorous performance reviews, yet few companies include negotiation effectiveness as one of the core competencies they track. Instead, negotiation is usually subsumed under categories such as "emotional intelligence," or "persuasiveness." The negotiator-related questions posed in most "36-degree assessments" don't measure the right skills and abilities, such as preparation. When evaluators do assess negotiations, they typically rely only on post hoc accounts and overlook the details of the bargaining experience.