Effective negotiating vital to AF career Published Sept. 17, 2015 By Maj. Peter O'Neill 60th Contracting Squadron TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- When was the last time you negotiated something? Most likely buying a new home or vehicle, right? In reality, nearly every aspect of life is negotiated, regardless if money changes hands. Children negotiate extra TV time, spouses negotiate vacation plans and employees negotiate advantageous work schedules. Negotiation is roughly defined as an exchange between two or more parties seeking favorable outcomes. I've spent my career negotiating contracts and the best resource I've found is the Air Force Negotiation Center. Among their many tools, they've adopted the Trust, Information, Power, Options framework to help Airmen develop successful negotiating strategies. According to TIPO, the first step is to assess the level of personal and process trust between parties. Personal trust is based on the individuals' positions, reputation and experiences. Process trust is confidence in the institution supporting the negotiation, the intent of both being to ensure both parties believe each will uphold the arrangement. When dealing with the inspector general, you might not know the investigator, but you can trust the system is designed for fairness. In turn, the inspector trusts that you are being honest. The second component, information, goes hand in hand with trust. What critical information do you have? Is the other side withholding anything? Are you? An information edge typically produces leverage, so the more you know, the better your position. During the recruitment process, if you know which Air Force Specialty Code's require certain Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery scores you may be able to negotiate your first choice. Assessing power is the third component of TIPO. The more trust and information between parties, the more power is shared. Power is a special concept as it relates to military service. Our power is vested in rank, so you would generally think it is a one-sided affair. In truth, there are two types of power - "power over" and "power with." "Power over" is easy. A superior can always "pull rank." "Power with" is quite different. A good leader recognizes pulling rank is a short-term solution. Teaming with your Airmen to be part of the solution achieves buy-in and is vastly more beneficial than immediately asserting dominance. The final component is options. This entails defining the problem, reviewing available resources and weighing the costs and benefits. Typically, more options are available when there is a high level of trust, information and equal power distribution. For example, as a commander, I am always open to alternative solutions presented by Senior NCOs. I am keenly aware Senior NCOs have the knowledge. I trust their judgment and understand they have a leadership stake in the organization. The more options you can present, the better your chances of achieving a positive outcome. Those who succeed in the Air Force don't just work hard. They also tend to be effective negotiators. The moment you understand the dynamics of negotiating, you will instantly become more successful. I encourage everyone to discover the Air Force Negotiations Center to improve your negotiating skills. Both you and your Airmen will be better for it.