Two Common Mistakes to Avoid in Negotiation
Two Common Mistakes in Negotiation
Many people make two mistakes regarding their thinking about negotiation. One is the belief that a negotiation is a formal event, such as a meeting at a conference table. This blinds them to the fact that they are negotiating all the time. Another is that they associate negotiations with money.
The truth is, most negotiations don’t concern money. Negotiations are about relationships & decisions. At a personal level, at work, or between countries, specifics may vary, but negotiation is about improving the quality of life.
Personally …
Negotiation can make the difference between divorce and a marriage that works.
Negotiation can make the difference between you and your children having fun, or being in a battle.
Negotiation can make the difference between your children being best friends with each other for life, or drifting apart.
Professionally ….
For you personally,
Negotiation can make the difference between a job feeling like swimming upstream, or down.
Negotiation can tip the tide toward you getting what you deserve in salary and working conditions.
Negotiation can make the difference between you and your staff working harmoniously, or at odds.
For the Company ...
Every dollar saved in procurement, or earned in sales through negotiation goes straight to PROFIT!
Globally - within & between countries - most actions are the result of negotiations, & the negotiations of our leaders determine the world our children & grandchildren will inherit.
Negotiations decide whether a country builds walls, or tears them down.
Negotiations decide where a nation stands on education, environment, and health care.
Negotiations decide whether a country goes to war.
Negotiation determines how a country is viewed as a world leader and champion of human rights.
Negotiation is the loom upon which the fabric of relationships is woven. It is the common denominator of all relationships, at all levels, whether our small personal world, the larger world of business, or the global village in which we reside.
Here are some early resolutions (even though it's not the new year) that will serve you well as a negotiator:
I will make an effort to handle situations as smoothly as possible with respect to the other party
I will accept responsibility for the quality of my relationships. They will reflect trust, respect, compassion, and integrity.
I will negotiate for what I believe is right, whether for myself, for others, or a situation.
A negotiation is a great tool. It’s up to us as business people of integrity to use it wisely, forging solid business deals and relationships based on trust and integrity.