Most seasoned managers know how to handle formal negotiations at work: with clients over contracts, with bosses over budgets, with employers over compensation. But what about all the opportunities for informal negotiation that arise? Do you know how to recognize and seize the chances you get to position yourself for a better role, change an untenable situation, or ensure that you're getting credit for extra work? For 35 years the author has been studying negotiation and coaching executives; she has found that many people don't, and the reason is understandable. It can feel more comfortable to negotiate as an agent for your organization than it does to negotiate in your own behalf. More emotions are at play; it's often difficult to figure out exactly what you want or how to get the conversation started; and the risk of failure carries a higher cost. Sometimes advocating for oneself is seen as not being a "team player." But leaders hurt themselves if they ignore opportunities to push for better assignments, more resources, or higher compensation. Kolb counsels focusing on four steps: recognize, prepare, initiate, and navigate.

Even when CEOs make gender diversity a priority--by setting aspirational goals for the proportion of women in leadership roles, insisting on diverse slates of candidates for senior positions, and developing mentoring and training programs--they are often frustrated by a lack of results. That's because they haven't addressed the fundamental identity shift involved in coming to see oneself, and to be seen by others, as a leader. Research shows, the authors write, that the subtle, "second-generation" gender bias still present in organizations and in society disrupts the learning cycle at the heart of becoming a leader. Women must establish credibility in a culture that is deeply conflicted about whether, when, and how they should exercise authority. Practices that equate leadership with behaviors considered more common in men suggest that women are simply not cut out to be leaders. Furthermore, the human tendency to gravitate to people who are like oneself leads powerful men to sponsor and advocate for other men when leadership opportunities arise. The authors suggest three actions to support and advance gender diversity: educate women and men about second-generation gender bias; create safe "identity workspaces" to support transitions to bigger roles; and anchor women's development efforts in their sense of leadership purpose rather than in how they are perceived.

A short case recounting Caitlin Elliot's history at a company called Microenterprises Incorporated and her negotiation with its CEO, George Baker, about a promotion and a bonus. The case is good for discussion about what makes negotiating for oneself in an organization more difficult than negotiating on behalf of others. The video can be analyzed using a moves and turns framework and it ideal for management and leadership courses in addition to negotiation and conflict resolution courses.

The director of a research coalition and the founder/coordinator of an NGO consortium meet to discuss the possibility of jointly drafting a proposal for an integrated research and development project in the Congo River basin. Approved projects will receive an annual operating budget of $2 million. Together they must develop a joint plan for how the money should be spent.

The director of a research coalition and the founder/coordinator of an NGO consortium meet to discuss the possibility of jointly drafting a proposal for an integrated research and development project in the Congo River basin. Approved projects will receive an annual operating budget of $2 million. Together they must develop a joint plan for how the money should be spent.

Mark Landstad, relatively new to CliffBank's investment banking division, has a veteran teammate, Nicole Collins, who appears to be a reliable ally. However, when Mark needs her help in locating vital information for his part of a presentation they will be doing together, she feigns ignorance. During the meeting, Nicole produces the data out of the blue and wows the attendees with her analysis. Knocked off balance by the sabotage, Mark clumsily seeks advice from his boss, who is a brick wall when it comes to interpersonal dynamics. How should Mark deal with his backstabbing colleague? Three experts comment on this fictional case study in R0811A and R0811Z. Maggie Craddock, president of Workplace Relationships, classifies Mark as an anxious pleaser, one of four power styles identified by her firm's research. She surmises that Mark is actually sabotaging himself and recommends that he address his dilemma by first examining his own modus operandi. R. Dixon Thayer, former CEO of I-trax and himself once the victim of coworker sabotage, has empathy for Mark. However, he criticizes Mark's hasty, open-ended way of approaching his superior. Thayer lists four "rules for boss engagement" that Mark should follow, beyond proving that his sneaky colleague won't stop him from getting results at CliffBank. Deborah Kolb, of the Simmons School of Management, contends that Mark does not yet understand his division's culture well enough to know whether Nicole's behavior is the rule or the exception. Only by overcoming his political and interpersonal naivete, she argues, can he learn how to negotiate relationships in his new setting.

Mark Landstad, relatively new to CliffBank's investment banking division, has a veteran teammate, Nicole Collins, who appears to be a reliable ally. However, when Mark needs her help in locating vital information for his part of a presentation they will be doing together, she feigns ignorance. During the meeting, Nicole produces the data out of the blue and wows the attendees with her analysis. Knocked off balance by the sabotage, Mark clumsily seeks advice from his boss, who is a brick wall when it comes to interpersonal dynamics. How should Mark deal with his backstabbing colleague? Three experts comment on this fictional case study in R0811A and R0811Z. Maggie Craddock, president of Workplace Relationships, classifies Mark as an anxious pleaser, one of four power styles identified by her firm's research. She surmises that Mark is actually sabotaging himself and recommends that he address his dilemma by first examining his own modus operandi. R. Dixon Thayer, former CEO of I-trax and himself once the victim of coworker sabotage, has empathy for Mark. However, he criticizes Mark's hasty, open-ended way of approaching his superior. Thayer lists four "rules for boss engagement" that Mark should follow, beyond proving that his sneaky colleague won't stop him from getting results at CliffBank. Deborah Kolb, of the Simmons School of Management, contends that Mark does not yet understand his division's culture well enough to know whether Nicole's behavior is the rule or the exception. Only by overcoming his political and interpersonal naiveté, she argues, can he learn how to negotiate relationships in his new setting.

Pat Fili-Krushel, CEO and president of WebMD and past president of ABC Network, contemplates accepting Richard Parson's offer to become the first executive vice president of administration at AOL Time Warner. Accepting this position would be a move back into mainstream media but also a career shift from line positions to a corporate staff role. The case profiles Fili-Krushel's media experiences, and her use of interpersonal influence and negotiation, leading up to the critical decision point. After consulting with colleagues throughout the media industry, Fili-Krushel's decision rests on her own career aspirations and her expectations about the future of AOL Time Warner.

Pat Fili-Krushel has agreed to take on the job of first executive vice president of administration for AOL Time Warner, leading corporate human resources, internal communications, real estate and facilities, and other administrative roles for the combined company. She must figure out how to structure the job, and how to start her relationship with her new boss, CEO Richard Parsons. Two factors complicate this decision. First, AOL Time Warner is experiencing significant internal conflict and Fili-Krushel is stepping into the middle of it. Second, Fili-Krushel has built her career on increasingly large line leadership positions, such as the president of ABC Network, and has no experience in getting things done without line authority. The case lays out the steps she takes to build authority and respect within the firm, and outlines the process of moving the firm's leaders from conflict to collaboration.

Jim Quigley, CEO of Deloitte and Touche's consulting practice, asks senior partner Cathy Benko to lead Deloitte & Touche's much publicized Initiative for the Retention and Advancement of Women (WIN). Benko, already the Lead Client Service Partner on one of Deloitte's largest west coast engagements and the firm's High Technology Sector Leader, rejects the offer. This sets off a series of moves by players across the firm. The case follows Benko's early career, detailing the reasons why Quigley believes she is the right person to lead the initiative. Both Quigley and Benko make decisions and take steps that shape Benko's role as a leader in the firm.

Cathy Benko pulls together a group of Deloitte and Touche's top partners for a weekend discussion of the Initiative for the Retention and Advancement of Women (WIN). Benko, stimulated by the strong reaction by the attending partners, agrees to take on the leadership role. But only after negotiating the details of the role with CEO Quigley.

Unspoken, subtle parts of a bargaining process--also known as the shadow negotiation--can set the tone for a successful negotiation. Deborah Kolb and Judith Williams, whose book The Shadow Negotiation was the starting point for this article, say there are three strategies businesspeople can use to guide these hidden interactions. Power moves are used when two negotiating parties hold unequal power. These strategies, such as casting the status quo in an unfavorable light, can help parties realize that they must negotiate: they will be better off if they do and worse off if they don't. Process moves affect how negotiation issues are received by both sides in the process, even though they do not address substantive issues. Working outside of the actual bargaining process, one party can suggest ideas or marshal support that can shape the agenda and influence how others view the negotiation. Appreciative moves alter the tone or atmosphere so that a more collaborative exchange is possible. These strategic moves don't guarantee that all bargainers will walk away winners, but they help to get stalled negotiations moving--out of the dark of unspoken power plays and into the light of true dialogue.