“Sunday Negotiation Insight”
“The level you reach is determined by the team you keep.” – Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert
“Who’s On Your Team”
There were four people on the team, two females and two males. The females were amicable and so was one of the males. The one that wasn’t amicable appeared to be filled with angst. His brisk temperament diminished the goodwill that the others had established. That pulled the perception of the team’s efforts down, which made the team appear not as stellar as it otherwise would have been.
In the situation above, there really was a team. It was a team of flight attendants on a flight I was on. The one male attendant lessened my enjoyment of the flight by his demeanor. Thus, it only took one person’s efforts to undo the goodwill of that group.
In order to fly higher, you have to consider how others will impact your efforts. If you’re not flying as high as you’d like, consider changing the members of your team. You’ll have to do this multiple times throughout your life; don’t be alarmed. Some people can only fly but so high. As you encounter higher flyers along your life’s journey, they’ll cause you to soar higher too … and everything will be right with the world.
What does this have to do with negotiations?
Whenever you negotiate you do so as the conglomerate of what you’ve experienced. That’s based on those from your past and those that influence your presence in your present environment. Therefore, you must be very cognizant of those closest to you, especially those that are on your team.
When it comes to negotiations, always be mindful of the image that’s projected by those that are on your team (i.e. work environment, groups you belong to, associates, etc.) To the degree they influence you, you’ll negotiate in a particular manner. To the degree they have a perceptional influence on your negotiation opponent, those on your team can be the source of an easy or difficult negotiation.
What are your takeaways? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com
Remember, you’re always negotiating!