“Sunday Negotiation Insight”
“Your thoughts can serve you well but only to the degree that you control them. Control them and they’ll serve you better. Think about the way you think.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert
“Have You Lost Your Mind?”
Everyone has had the question posed to them, have you lost your mind? Sometimes, those sentiments are conveyed with disbelief. Other times, it’s expressed as a source of comparison to assure the questioner that he’s on the same page as you.
You should always be mindful of the thoughts you have per the way you think. If you have an old mind, one that’s maintained the same thought process and beliefs from decades ago, you may miss connecting with state-of-the-art thinkers. The same is true if you have a mindset that’s too progressive when attempting to connect with those that have an old mind. The point is, you must always be aware of how you think based on the current state of mind you possess and the mindset of the person with whom you’re communicating.
In order to enhance your ability to connect with more people, be mindful of being adaptable; keep an open mind. Allow your mind to see the possibilities from which someone else speaks; in order to do that, you have to listen more than you speak. Losing your mind can be a good thing, as long as you know the purpose for losing it.
If you go into situations with a mindset that states, I’m going to remain open to the way I think so I can learn something new, you’ll see and hear things from a different perspective. You’ll be less likely to be steadfastly anchored to a thought process or position that doesn’t serve you. Thus, a more flexible mindset will lead you to more opportunities … and everything will be right with the world.
What does this have to do with negotiations?
In order to win more negotiations, you have to maintain an open mind. If you’re confronted by a position that’s not palatable, being obstinate will not serve you as well as being mentally flexible. Mental flexibility will allow you the vision of insight. It’ll be like fine-tuning your mental focus, which will clear out the mental clutter that could disserve you.
Don’t lose your mind. Instead, park it in the appropriate spot when it’s not the right mindset to have for a particular situation. Then, when it’s time to retrieve it for a more suitable situation, do so. You have many different aspects to your thought process. Use the one that serves you best when you seek to be your best.
Remember, you’re always negotiating.