What if I don't want to ask for more?

At one of my recent corporate negotiation workshops, I received a question from a participant that caught me off guard:

“What if I’m not interested in asking for more?”

It took me a second to make sure I heard the question correctly. This high-potential employee didn’t want more recognition? More opportunities? More money??

I could tell from the murmurings in the room that I wasn’t the only one taken aback. Thankfully, this person went on to elaborate:

“At this stage in my life, I don’t want additional responsibilities or a heavy workload. If I ask for more, won’t I be expected to deliver more?”

Ahh. Now I understood. I was thankful for this person’s honesty. Admitting this in front of an audience of professional overachievers was hard, but the attentive faces around the room showed that many felt the same way.

Already burdened with a long list of mental roadblocks, many of my students (who might I add are long overdue for a promotion or a raise) shy away from asking for more because they are convinced that the “more” will come at a steep price:

• I have to deliver more to justify this increase.

• I have to prove I am now worth this much.

• They will be watching me more closely to make sure this arrangement is worth it.

If you decide against negotiating because you're worried about getting a bad deal or suspect there may be hidden drawbacks, it's important to examine these concerns closely to see if you are falling for the trap of transactional thinking: to get X more benefits, I need to work Y more hours or produce Z more units.

While this transactional approach may be logical for hourly jobs, it doesn't apply as well to salaried positions. For salaried employees, advocating for more money or a better position doesn't necessarily have to mean piling on more meetings, projects, or hours. Instead it’s all about impact. How does your request help the team, products, customers, or company overall? For example, “With this promotion, I'll be in a key position to help our team expand product X.”

Negotiating based on the value you bring not only boosts your chances of a successful outcome, but can also lead to significant professional benefits which include:

• Gaining recognition for your market value, expertise, and skills

• Aligning yourself with the organization's leaders, strategic goals, and objectives

• Securing opportunities for future growth and impact

• Prioritizing meaningful projects over less important, routine tasks

Adopt a value-based negotiation approach and advocate for a “more” that is right for you.