I once got very close to losing an important deal because I neglected this principle. I was in negotiation with a larger organisation. The person assigned to work with me had errors in his work. He also made late requests, which was difficult for me to fulfil. I tried to be patient and polite in pointing out the problems and risks, but I might have come across as somewhat condescending. My counterpart wanted to call off the deal. It took some effort to get back to the negotiation table and to eventually work something out. Sometimes whether or not you are right and how competent you are are not the most important things. If you are not sensitive about the other party's feelings and perspectives, you damage relationships unnecessarily. Everyone wants to be respected and heard. Be helpful. Be supportive. Be someone people enjoy working with, and you will get a lot done and save much heartache.
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