Master negotiator tip #1

 

Be on the same side. 

Most people when they consider themselves in a negotiation, they automatically see themselves in a zero sum game. You and the other party are on opposite ends of a table. When one side gains, the other loses. So both sides fight mercilessly to get what they want. This limiting mindset results in many people walking away from negotiations having gained little or nothing. 

What master negotiators do is they learn to understand their counterpart and see from their perspective. They build trust and try to help their counterpart achieve what is most important for them. When you frame a negotiation as a problem to solve together instead of a tug of war, you will be more creative in finding a solution. 

How leaders handle incompetence #5

 

Strong leaders often feel frustrated by the incompetence they see in their organisations. One important thing we must do is to 

reflect on our own definitions of competence. Is it really a competence problem, or do you just want things your way? We become leaders because we are good at what we do. From our successful experiences, we have formed opinions and preferences on how things should be done. When things are not done exactly how we would have done them, we feel it's not good enough. 

When we ask our teams to complete a task, we have to be precise and fair about what the desired outcome is. We have every right to expect nothing less, and we must also remind ourselves to expect nothing more. Sometimes it is those unspoken expectations that frustrate not only ourselves, but also our teams.