Today, if you take a close look at the skills and knowledge required to be an instructional designer, the art of negotiation is not necessarily a part of any academic curriculum, certification program, or fast-track training program focusing on instructional design. In other words, there is a gap. So unless negotiation skills are acquired through other learning programs, life experiences, or on-the-job training, new managers who now have instructional design as part of their roles and responsibilities are likely to be lacking in the art of negotiation.
If you do not consider the art of negotiation crucial to being a successful instructional design manager, consider the results of an independent survey about this topic. The survey was sent to 25 active or former instructional designers requesting feedback about how important it is to be a successful negotiator as an integral part of instructional design. Twenty out of the 25 completed the survey. The survey included six questions. The results of the survey are as follows:
Based on my many years of personal instructional design experience, as well as the survey results, it appears to me that it would be beneficial for instructional design learning programs to include a customized component on the art of negotiation wherever possible. Certainly, existing and prospective instructional designers should make sure their negotiation skills are sufficient to be successful within the new digital age workplace.
REFERENCES
Sebenius, James K. “A Great Negotiator’s Essential Advice,” Harvard Business Review, July 9, 2014 from http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=48410
www.grovo.com “How the digital skills gap is killing productivity and what you can do about it” http://a1.grovo.com/asset/whitepapers/Grovo-Digital-Skills-Gap-whitepaper.pdf
Diaz, Michael. “Take the Corporate MOOC Plunge!” 2014 http://whitepapers.lakewoodmediagroup.net/content/take-corporate-mooc-plunge
Liljenquist, Katir and Galkinsky, Adam. “Win Over an Opponent by Asking for Advice,” HBR Blog Network, June 27, 2014, from http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/06/win-over-an-opponent-by-asking-for-advice/
Landis, Marilyn. “Instructional Design and the Art of Negotiation.” Survey conducted via www.surveymonkey.com Link to survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QF97CQV
Marilyn Landis is a former senior training manager – Design at AT&T University.
