This is the fifth step in my 5 step CHART framwork. I help ambitious clients identify their Criteria, Hunt for possible fits, Assess and adjust, and Reach the decision-maker.
Now you’ve got an offer! It’s time to contend with the Trade-offs.
That’s right. We’re negotiating and deciding in this last step, so we can move forward toward the kind of work life we’ve been envisioning.
Do you want to take the offer as it is? Hold out for an opportunity that’s coming, but hasn’t materialized yet? Play hardball and see if you can get more of what you want?
I wish I could tell you we could avoid trade-offs, but I haven’t figured that out yet.
But remember those values cards back in the C stage? That wishlist we created?
That’s helpful to look at again in this stage. If you’re giving something up, we’ll talk about that. What are you trading it for, and is that the right decision in this chapter? How might you find a way to bring that value into your life outside of work?
And all that research and network-strengthening you did in the A stage? You’ve connected with people who can help you benchmark this offer, prepare a counteroffer, consider your alternatives carefully, and even run through your talking points with you.
A lot of the coaching I do at this stage is about making room for clarity, and preparing for some consequential and nuanced conversations. Clients value what I bring as listener, questioner, mirror, and encourager.
But I also share preparation sheets and rubrics from my favorite thinkers on negotiation and decision-making. I read a lot of books, and that pays off when I can share the most salient tools to match a client’s situation.
It’s so gratifying to see clients step into those conversations with confidence and conviction. It’s what I want for you.
