BATNA: Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement
I ask this question as a way to think about where I take my career and my own sense of contribution.
Many of us ask “what’s my BATNA” and “what’s their BATNA” when we negotiate which is fantastic. But there a number of other ways to use these questions outside of negotiation that I use more frequently and find even more helpful.
Examples:
Q1: Should I move on and promote someone on my team into my current role? How much value do I bring to the role over and above another available person? If it is small, maybe I should move on into a role where my value over and above my company’s BATNA is greater.
Q2: Do I take a role many other great candidates want and can succeed at (“emperor of AI!”) vs one that is harder to fill? In the hard-to-fill role the value I bring to the company may be much greater than the one that is sought after.
Q3: How do I recognize the contribution of people on our team? Where should I make sure to provide special recognition or compensation?