What successful negotiators do differently | Kathryn Valentine

In this episode of TED Business, Catherine Valentine shares a powerful framework for women navigating the challenges of negotiation in the workplace. Drawing from personal experience and academic research, she reveals that traditional negotiation strategies—often modeled on male behavior—can backfire for women, leading to backlash and missed opportunities. Instead, she introduces the 'relational ask' formula: past performance + future vision + the ask + a collaborative question. This approach not only increases the likelihood of success but also strengthens relationships and eliminates the risk of backlash. Valentine emphasizes that women aren’t less likely to negotiate—they’re simply less successful due to systemic gender bias. She calls for a shift in strategy, not just in behavior, but in mindset, urging women to claim their worth without apology. The episode concludes with a call to action: equip the next generation with these tools so that one day, gendered negotiation strategies won’t be necessary.