“You can achieve success, but first you have to combat what distracts you from achieving success before success will allow you to embrace it.” –Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert
“Distraction, The Foil To Success”
How many times have you thought, I want to be successful, but found it to be elusive? In order to be successful, you have to give a clear definition to what success means to you, why you want to achieve it and what distracts you from doing so. In essence, the meaning you give to it has to be strong enough to serve as an undying source of motivation, while fighting back distractions.
Too many times we’re distracted by situations that occur that draw our attention from our goals. Most of the time that happens because we’re not attentive to when our attention is being drawn away. We may think to ourselves, I’ll get back to what I was doing in a moment. I’ll finish this ‘other thing’ first; it won’t take that long. Then, another thing steals a little more of your time, then another, etc. Before you know it, the day has slipped into night, you’re tired and you don’t have the energy to address the goal(s) you setout to address earlier in the day.
If you really want to be successful, no matter how you define it, be mindful of the distraction that pulls you off track. Then, put a plan in place for how you’ll react when such distractions present themselves. The more prepared you are to recognize and address distractions, the better prepared you’ll be to address and control them. Once you do, success will be easier to seize … and everything will be right with the world.
What does this have to do with negotiations?
In a negotiation, a good tactic when you’re not winning a point is to distract an opponent from the point that he’s making. Thus, good negotiators employ this tactic throughout a negotiation. To the degree you fall prey to the tactic of distraction, you’ll walk away from the negotiation with less than you could have achieved.
In future negotiations, pay attention to when distractions are introduced into the negotiation. Question why such an attempt was made at the time it occurred, and assess what the opposing negotiator was attempting to achieve. Such insights will highlight his belief per how strong he perceives your position to be, and you as his negotiation opponent. That sense of awareness will allow you to enhance your negotiation efforts.
Remember, you’re always negotiating!