A dance not a war. How to negotiate in today's world.
What do you think is the optimal negotiation strategy? Winner takes all? A tug of war? Win Win? A well-choreographed dance?
Negotiation as I am discovering is very different to the bravo, macho tactics of old. Today a successful negotiation is less about big egos and take-it-or-leave scenarios and more about skillful communications. Modern-day negotiations are multi-layered, human-centred and complex. And to answer the question in the first paragraph, they are a well-choreographed dance.
Welcome to the dance floor
In the below section, I will break down some of the leading negotiation principles of world leaders, debaters and politicians in how they prepare and the strategies and tactics they use in negotiations.
It is not a war
In my mind and potentially yours we think of negotiations as war, us vs them — there can only be one victor! This approach is flawed, if you are aggressive or assertive, unwilling to hear and accept other points of view you will be regarded as hostile and unlikely someone who people will want to do business with. Leave this attitude at the door. A great negotiator listens and collaborates effectively.
