For anybody who needs to negotiate in their life whether at home or at work, our blog brings you regular advice and ideas to help you in your negotiations. All rights reserved https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/ Fri, 15 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT Fri, 15 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT Alan Smith Having now run a significant number of virtual negotiation sessions, one of the core questions I get asked is how will the world of negotiation be impacted by our inability to get face to face with the other side(s), and what can we do to make negotiation more effective in this new world? https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2021/its-a-virtual/ Fri, 15 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2021/its-a-virtual/ Richard Savage It is fascinating how new words (or old ones) enter our vocabulary and are suddenly on everyone’s lips. Over the last few years, previously unknown words like Brexit or Covid-19 were unheard of but quickly become broadly understood by everyone. Likewise, previously little used (but more common) words like negotiation, lockdown and of course virtual have become ubiquitous. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2021/the-virtue-of-virtual-whatever-that-means/ Thu, 14 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2021/the-virtue-of-virtual-whatever-that-means/ Alan Smith The older I get the more I think I might be turning into a Grinch! Christmas is really not the same without family, and this year because of the restrictions it is unlikely that my extended family will have the opportunity to get… https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/does-christmas-destroy-value-a-givers-guide/ Mon, 21 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/does-christmas-destroy-value-a-givers-guide/ Brian Buck You‘ve worked your butt off to get this deal done and you’re at the finish line. The contract has cleared legal and both sides have agreed to all of the terms. It literally just needs signatures. Then you get a phone call. It’s the other side, and they’re telling you that there’s one more small adjustment that needs to be made, and if you can do that, then they can get the contract done. What do you do? Give in or push back? https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/the-problem-with-giving-in/ Tue, 15 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/the-problem-with-giving-in/ David Bannister The consequences of assumptions can be far more important than the assumptions themselves because we then behave and give our responses based on our assumptions and there the problems begin. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/mind-what-you-say/ Fri, 04 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/mind-what-you-say/ Brian Buck I hate when I make a mistake. It’s not because I expect to be perfect; it’s because I find that my mistakes usually mean that I let someone down or created unnecessary issues — two things that I really hate doing. Therefore, I hate mistakes. But they happen. They happen to all of us. That said, what happens when a mistake is made during a negotiation? https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/i-screwed-up/ Tue, 10 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/i-screwed-up/ David Bannister My wife, as an executor, is involved in the sale of a house. As you do, she engaged three agents to value the property and then chose the one who suggested the highest price. Before any one looked at the house someone called the agent and offered the asking price over the phone and without visiting the house. This all happened just a few hours after I had asked, purely out of interest, what the executors would accept as a price for the house – they didn’t know, they were adopting a “wait and see” approach. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/be-careful-what-you-ask-for/ Tue, 10 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/be-careful-what-you-ask-for/ Alan Smith Many people try ignoring problems, hoping they'll go away. Sometimes though, no matter where we might try to run or hide, our problems are still right there with us. They follow us. Until we find a methodology or way to deal with challenges, things will never change. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/problems-problems/ Tue, 13 Oct 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/problems-problems/ Brian Buck The worst piece of advice ever given to a negotiator? Don’t share information. At some point in our development as negotiators, we’ve all heard things like, “Those who speak first, lose” or “Hold your cards close to your vest.” Not sharing information, or sharing only limited information, is one of the most destructive strategies that could be implemented at the negotiating table. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/dont-share-info/ Tue, 29 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/dont-share-info/ Mark Simpson For many people, organisations and businesses, uncertainty prevails currently. We know that life and business will go on, although how we go about both has, and will, continue to change dramatically. Scotwork adapted rapidly to enable us to give certainty to our clients and participants. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/virtual-certainty/ Tue, 15 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/virtual-certainty/ Nicki Steers Sometimes, with the best will in the world and despite a desire by all concerned to achieve one, a deal is simply not achievable. A good negotiator realises this and quickly expedites the situation without wasting time and energy or compromising relationships. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/can-no-deal-still-be-a-win/ Thu, 10 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/can-no-deal-still-be-a-win/ Brian Buck Some of us will remember buying a vinyl record and playing it once while simultaneously recording it to a chrome tape (metal, if you had the extra dough). From there, we’d store the album and play just the tape — over and over. Eventually, we moved from vinyl to CDs to MP3s . . . and now back to vinyl. The same is currently happening with how we train people. We went from instructor-led live training to CBTs to eLearning . . . and now back to instructor-led live training. But with the advent of virtual, here’s the question we’re most commonly asked: “Is virtual as good as live?” https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/is-it-live-or-is-it-virtual/ Thu, 03 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/is-it-live-or-is-it-virtual/ Mark Simpson A friend send me a short video clip at the weekend, which came at just the right time. We were in a dispute with colleagues. All parties felt aggrieved, everyone had different perspectives and nobody was going to yield. Long standing relationships were at risk of being compromised and escalation of the dispute, something that would hurt everyone, was coming ever nearer. The video made me smile, it reminded me of what's important in life. It didn't so much change my perspective (both sides still maintain the other was wrong) but helped me re-frame it. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/dont-sweat-the-small-stuff-its-all-about-perspective/ Fri, 07 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/dont-sweat-the-small-stuff-its-all-about-perspective/ Nicki Steers Long before Covid-19 the media world was already being turned on its head. Traditional media is no longer the powerhouse that it was before, multi-media is where it's at now, and those working in the media industry need to re-think their approach to clients and selling. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/turned-on-its-head/ Tue, 28 Jul 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/turned-on-its-head/ Mark Simpson There is usually more than one solution to every problem. You may have come up with what you think is the best solution, but there is no guarantee that it will be acceptable to the other party. When operating in a challenging economic climate, what you think is reasonable may have a considerably large impact on the other party you are negotiating with, an impact you may not have thought of or are not aware of. Upskill your people, look for opportunity and think beyond the dollars. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/8-tips-to-negotiating-in-a-recession-pt-4/ Tue, 07 Jul 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/8-tips-to-negotiating-in-a-recession-pt-4/ Mark Simpson Any negotiation, whether it is in challenging economic times (read: recession) or when your business is on a ‘high’, should be well planned and well prepared for. We have shared tips on this in our 2 previous blogs. The next challenging stage of any negotiation happens when you engage with the other party. There are a few things you should be thinking about before you enter the negotiation, like whether a team approach or individual talks would best suit your interests and a plan to ensure you get your message across. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/8-tips-to-negotiating-in-a-recession-pt-3/ Wed, 01 Jul 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/8-tips-to-negotiating-in-a-recession-pt-3/ Mark Simpson Continuing on our theme from last week, we share two more tips for negotiating in a recession. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/8-tips-to-negotiating-in-a-recession-pt-2/ Tue, 23 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/8-tips-to-negotiating-in-a-recession-pt-2/ Mark Simpson We're already in recession. The media leaves us in little doubt that for many organisations, tough times lie ahead. How should we handle this? What should we do? See what happens? Hope for the best? We don’t think so. We firmly believe that one of the key things that will determine whether an organisation survives and thrives (or otherwise) will be determined by the abilities of their key people on the front line to negotiate effectively on their behalf. Those individuals responsible for the survival, performance, maintenance, and growth of their organisations. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/8-tips-to-negotiating-in-a-recession-pt-1/ Thu, 18 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/8-tips-to-negotiating-in-a-recession-pt-1/ Mark Simpson Despite the often voiced assertion that “everything is negotiable”, not everything in life is. That’s why we as human beings developed all the other methods and approaches to resolving conflict listed in my previous Blog . There are however, four main situations in which we all find ourselves in on a daily basis where negotiating is appropriate and should be considered. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/so-when-do-we-negotiate/ Tue, 09 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/so-when-do-we-negotiate/ Mark Simpson The current pandemic has proved an opportunity for some businesses, a killer for others. Whether we’re thriving or just surviving right now, conflict is an inherent part of life. Covid-19 has simply taken the issues we all find ourselves dealing with on a day to day basis, shaken them all up and dropped a new mixture of them back in our laps. How we respond to and handle conflict, will be the difference between your thriving organisation continuing to grow, your struggling one beginning to grow again or the end of the line for both. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/conflict-in-the-time-of-covid-19/ Tue, 26 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/conflict-in-the-time-of-covid-19/ Mark Simpson Scotwork New Zealand’s purpose has always been to help people and organisations work together to get better deals and outcomes. We’ve continued to do this through lockdown and we're continuing that now.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/here-to-help-more-free-elk-steaks/ Wed, 13 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/here-to-help-more-free-elk-steaks/ Brian Buck The great debate is on: To open or not to open? A large part of our nation’s population is currently under stay-at-home lock down orders. However, government and businesses are wrestling with balancing public safety, mental health, and economic viability. The hard part is, there’s literally no right answer. No one knows what that balance should look like, yet there are a lot of strong opinions on the topic — leading to some very emotional arguments. Negotiating with this kind of uncertainty and emotion can be treacherous. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/to-open-or-not-to-open/ Tue, 05 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/to-open-or-not-to-open/ Brian Buck Full disclosure: This isn’t the first time that I’ve quoted the cult action classic Road House. But it may be the first time that such a quote inspired a few insights into negotiating during the era of COVID-19. In the movie, Dalton — an NYU philosophy grad-turned-gentleman bouncer played by Patrick Swayze — tells his crew of newly ordained bouncers, “I want you to be nice . . . until it's time to not be nice.” With some liberties taken regarding the line’s literal meaning, the same could be said about negotiating in a world of hyper-uncertainty. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/be-nice-until-its-time-not-to-be-nice/ Tue, 28 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/be-nice-until-its-time-not-to-be-nice/ Brian Buck In times of crisis, it’s all too easy to develop tunnel vision in a negotiation and lose sight of other objectives that are just as important as the one you’re fixated on. Negotiators under stress are particularly susceptible to this. The most common point of focus is to achieve an advantageous financial position. However, even in times of stress, there’s more to negotiate than just price or money. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/price-isnt-the-only-thing-to-negotiate/ Tue, 21 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/price-isnt-the-only-thing-to-negotiate/ Richard Savage I love being at home. I love being with my family. But ALL day, EVERY day? And then I reflected that one of the most important things we teach as professional negotiators is to ask questions, good questions, and then most critically, listen to the answers.… https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/the-new-front-line-negotiating-at-home/ Tue, 14 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/the-new-front-line-negotiating-at-home/ Ann Allfrey Last week Ann, one of our UK colleagues, got married. This week the happy couple were meant to be on honeymoon. But, then Covid 19. Right now, we're all facing huge disruptive changes to "the way things were meant to be". Any good negotiator knows that they key to coping is to be realistic with objectives and flexible with strategy. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/priorities-love-in-the-time-of-corona/ Mon, 06 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/priorities-love-in-the-time-of-corona/ Mark Simpson In our modern world we increasingly meet and negotiate virtually. And during this current period of uncertainty even more so. The demand for increased skills to deal with these new challenges is clear and as a result, Scotwork have launched our ground-breaking multimedia virtual negotiation skills training course. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/the-training-is-virtual-the-learning-is-real/ Sun, 29 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/the-training-is-virtual-the-learning-is-real/ Alan Smith Anyone who comes from the North of England will see this phrase as one of the greatest insults you can hurl. Thinking a lot of yourself is a phrase my grandmother used to use frequently as a put down for people who clearly had aspirations above their… https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/you-think-a-lot-of-yourself/ Mon, 09 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/you-think-a-lot-of-yourself/ Stephen White My newspaper today has three full pages of Aldi advertisements. The running motif is price and the word LIKE…. ‘If you LIKE low prices’, ‘If you LIKE’ saving over 40%’, and so on. The word is fashionable – it has taken on new importance because of social… https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/please-like-this/ Mon, 02 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/please-like-this/ Ben Byth There are many reasons why proposals get rejected, and it is our job as negotiators to surface and remove the roadblocks. However, sadly many people subconsciously scuttle and roadblock their own proposals before they are even made. Some key tips to increase the likelihood of success: https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/stop-scuttling-your-own-proposals/ Mon, 17 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/stop-scuttling-your-own-proposals/ Brian Buck Love is in the air . . . or is it? Valentine’s Day is around the corner and like clockwork, we’re getting inundated with advertisements for flowers, jewelry, romantic this, and romantic that. There’s seemingly an endless number of ways to materialistically show our love. Which got me thinking: Do you need to send a valentine to the ones you negotiate with? To put it differently, how much love should you show at the negotiating table? https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/whats-love-got-to-do-with-it/ Tue, 11 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/whats-love-got-to-do-with-it/ Brian Buck I’m a big believer in working with a team. I’ve always felt that I’m stronger when working with others than by myself. However, negotiating as a team can’t always happen. In fact, many of us find ourselves in the position of having to do our dealmaking all on our own. Some of you may prefer it this way while others are forced to do it this way, but in the end, negotiating alone is not an easy task and should not be taken lightly. Here are some tips on what to do when you’re caught negotiating alone. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/negotiating-alone/ Tue, 04 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/negotiating-alone/ David Bannister Over the past few of weeks, the world media has devoted many of its precious column inches and soundbites to the story surrounding Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife, the former actress Meghan Markle. The situation highlights some interesting lessons for all negotiators to reflect on not just Harry and Megan.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/a-right-royal-deal/ Tue, 28 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/a-right-royal-deal/ Brian Buck When it comes to sports, the term G.O.A.T. (aka greatest of all time) gets tossed around a lot. Sometimes the title is easy to bestow, due to an athlete’s undeniably impressive career stats. But most of the time, it becomes the subject of endless debates regarding one player who may, or may not, be better than another. However, regardless of who’s your G.O.A.T. — Muhammad Ali, Tom Brady, Serena Williams, Sebastian Vettel, Wayne Gretzky (the actual Great One) — we should be able to agree that they all have two things in common. As it turns out, these two things can turn any dealmaker into a G.O.A.T. negotiator. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/be-a-goat-negotiator/ Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/be-a-goat-negotiator/ Stephen White It is a new year and a new decade. How does that make you feel – optimistic or apprehensive? Knowing this is important, because your answer may be a guide to your negotiating style. I have an old friend who is in retail. For many years https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/happy-new-year/ Mon, 13 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/happy-new-year/ Brian Buck Welcome to 2020! It’s Scotwork’s 25th anniversary here in New Zealand. While Scotwork has been a global presence for 45 years, we launched operations here in New Zealand in 1995. During that time, our skilled negotiators and consultants have helped thousands of negotiators to not only improve their deals, but also strengthen relationships and create more value for all involved. As such, we want to start off your year of deal making right, with 5 things you need to do to make every deal better. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/top-things-to-make-great-deals-in-2020/ Tue, 07 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2020/top-things-to-make-great-deals-in-2020/ Tom Feinson I was walking up the escalator on the left-hand-side as you should (I'm British you know), when I came across a guy stood, rooted to the spot, inactive, motionless, stationary, sprouting roots. My blood began to gently boil but being British (again) I did... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/the-power-of-you/ Mon, 16 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/the-power-of-you/ Richard Savage “The trouble, Richard”, a prospective client once said to me, “is that I can get a better service elsewhere for less money” …the salesman’s worst nightmare! https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/liar-liar-pants-on-fire/ Mon, 02 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/liar-liar-pants-on-fire/ Brian Buck I find it ironic that we have a tradition of pardoning a turkey at Thanksgiving. After all, these days our political landscape shows few signs of forgiveness. Nevertheless, the symbolic nature of the pardon is important. Coming together with families and friends during the holidays can be an emotional experience. Part of that has to do with our inability to forgive. Doing some research into the power of forgiveness, I stumbled on something that can also help negotiators trapped in situations of emotional conflict. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/pardon-your-turkey/ Tue, 26 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/pardon-your-turkey/ Robin Copland Negotiations are often formulaic. Management, for example, go into a negotiation fully expecting the union to make the first proposal. This approach has been accepted as the norm for so many years that somehow, it is seen as “not the done thing” to do anything different. If management is keen to... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/tell-them-what-you-want/ Tue, 05 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/tell-them-what-you-want/ Randy Kutz New York City real estate has always been a land of extremes. Recently, a penthouse apartment with five floors listed for $98M, currently the highest priced residential condo for sale in the city. The Big Apple also holds the record for the highest priced sold home in the country, which closed earlier this year at $238M, more than two times the previous record (also, not surprisingly, in NYC). The city also holds the record for the most expensive eviction ever, at $17M. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/the-high-rise-holdout-new-york-style/ Tue, 05 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/the-high-rise-holdout-new-york-style/ Brian Buck “Ideally, I want . . .” is one of the most common phrases I hear during a negotiation. My frequent, sarcastic response is, “Good for you!” — implying that the ideal is not attainable. Sarcasm aside, what does “ideal” actually mean? Is it even attainable? And under what conditions is it attainable? Better you know before trying to use it in your next deal. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/the-ideal-state/ Fri, 04 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/the-ideal-state/ Brian Buck We've all been there — having to deal with a bad deal. Depending on how bad, it could lead to sleepless nights, an overindulgence in Ben & Jerry’s, a lot of retail therapy . . . or all of the above. All joking aside, bad deals are hard to live with. How long you live with them is up to you, because there are ways that you can turn bad deals into good ones. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/dealing-with-a-bad-deal/ Fri, 04 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/dealing-with-a-bad-deal/ Robin Copland First of all, the technique – it is called “Lesser of Two Evils” and Boris Johnson is the latest to use it. The idea is that you give the other sides two alternatives, it’s kind of an extreme version of “Either / Or”. One of the alternatives is completely unacceptable (“No Deal Brexit” on 31 October) and the other only marginally less so, Johnson’s so-called “Final Offer”. Oh – and just add that wee phrase, “Final Offer” to the mix to twist the knife. “Take it or leave it”. Bound to work, or is it? https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/lesser-of-two-evils/ Fri, 04 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/lesser-of-two-evils/ Brian Buck I hate garage sales. The idea of lugging all your stuff out in front of your house so that complete strangers can attempt to steal it for cents on the dollar is painful. Nevertheless, this past weekend we had a garage sale. It was supposed to start at 7 a.m., but as we were pulling things out during the pre-dawn hours, people were already showing up to unapologetically scavenge. Then it began: They would ask, “How much?” I’d give them a price, and then they would ask, “Would you take [insert ridiculous price here]?” and expect to haggle until we met somewhere in the middle. As a professional negotiator, I loathe haggling, and the pain of it started to set in. That is, until I tapped into overlooked sources of power and leverage that ended these attempted haggles early. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/garage-sale-negotiations/ Tue, 27 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/garage-sale-negotiations/ Brian Buck “Is it a good deal?” That was the question put forth by the CEO to the executive team. Sales liked the deal because it secured a new customer. Finance wasn’t thrilled by it because the margins were slim. Operations wasn’t happy with it because the delivery timelines were too narrow. Legal was happy because all of the contract’s terms were favorable. After working on this deal for six months, the CEO couldn’t believe that no one could answer her question. She knew this had to change. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/good-deal/ Thu, 22 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/good-deal/ Alan Smith Not everything in this life is negotiable. Death will eventually come calling for us all. That we can't change. What we can negotiate is how we choose to live the time we have. The philosophy our colleague Marty Finkle, who passed away this week, lived his life by, provides some guidance for us all. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/not-negotiable-a-tribute-to-marty-finkle/ Sun, 04 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/not-negotiable-a-tribute-to-marty-finkle/ Richard Savage It’s holiday time and there is no better feeling than the prospect of a well-earned break, some icy cold ones in the sunshine and some quality time with the ones you love. But it comes at a cost. At least getting there does. An example of how the balance of power can change when you least expect it. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/you-got-me/ Sat, 03 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/you-got-me/ Alan Smith If you are watching the politics of the moment you will be watching the leadership battle for the conservative party, and thus premiership of the country. What you are essentially watching is a battle of egos in the attempt to win over the members of the UK Conservative Party, and thus Premiership of the UK. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/me-myself-and-i/ Tue, 23 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/me-myself-and-i/ Sandy Sbarra When your only daughter is getting married, all you want to do is help her put on the best wedding possible . . . within reason. My daughter and I have strong personalities, and I was preparing for the inevitable arguments as we planned her big day. To avoid them, I gave her complete control over how she could spend the wedding budget that my wife and I had set aside. That seemed to keep the peace, with the exception of one surprising argument. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/the-father-daughter-dance/ Tue, 23 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/the-father-daughter-dance/ Alan Smith No, this is not some oblique reference to beginning a training plan for next year’s Marathon (although not a bad start!), nor is it a reminder of the old gag about walking a mile in my shoes and you’ll end up at a bar, and I’ll have no shoes. It’s… https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/walk-a-mile/ Fri, 14 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/walk-a-mile/ Alan Smith There is no doubt, and I am indebted to my colleague David Bannister, and the excellent work he has done to find the evidence for this, that most untrained negotiators are stubborn. Is this a good thing? or bad? The politicians response would be; "It depends" https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/stubborn-me/ Fri, 26 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/stubborn-me/ Brian Buck “Fish or cut bait?” That was the last question my then girlfriend asked me as she walked out of the bar. She had brought me there to discuss our future. We had been dating for a while, but it wasn’t really clear where our relationship was going. I have to admit, I was taken aback by what my friends call “the talk.” She wanted to know about my intentions. We were having a lot of fun, she pointed out, but if this wasn’t heading toward something more serious, she added, “what’s the point?” https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/fish-or-cut-bait/ Fri, 26 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/fish-or-cut-bait/ Alan Smith Regular readers (both of you) will remember that a few weeks ago I wrote a BLOG about my new dog Grouse, and how good training produces great results. The little blighter has taught me another lesson this weekend, about how just going through the motions will bite you back in the long run. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/going-through-the-motions/ Fri, 05 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/going-through-the-motions/ Brian Buck I recently heard a story about a man that willed his 17 horses to his three sons. Upon his death, the oldest son would receive one half of his father’s horses, the middle son one third, and the youngest son would receive one ninth of the horses. This created quite a conflict amongst the sons. After days of arguing they went to the wise woman in the village for guidance. After thinking about the problem she said, “I’m not sure how I can solve your issue, but here’s what I will do for you…” https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/gaining-perspective/ Tue, 05 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/gaining-perspective/ Brian Buck Valentine’s Day is the worst! I’m a hopeless romantic but Valentine’s Day messes with expectations in ways that no candy/card/flower-giving day should! I spend the entire year making sure my wife knows that I love her but this one day puts so much pressure on doing something meaningful that if I think if I don’t, it would somehow negate the other 364 days of devoted love. It wasn’t until my wife told me this one thing did everything change. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/be-my-valentine/ Wed, 13 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/be-my-valentine/ Stephen White Firstly a definition: Deception is an act or statement which misleads, hides the truth, or promotes a belief, concept, or idea that is not true. Commercial negotiators do it all the time, normally without qualms. Buyers imply that a rival supplier has… https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/on-deception/ Mon, 11 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/on-deception/ Jill Campen Negotiating With Yourself? We all face the New Year with a variety of perspectives – simplify… clarify… amplify… save money… make more money… spend more time exercising… eat healthier… the list goes on and on. Negotiating with ourselves is a lifelong journey – it never goes away…but we can get better at it. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/negotiating-with-yourself/ Tue, 08 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2019/negotiating-with-yourself/ David Bannister I wonder if, like me, you have recently followed the story of a shoplifter who stole a tray of cans of beer from a supermarket. This was no ordinary shoplifter, he looked like the actor David Schwimmer and his CCTV photograph was shown widely in the media.… https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/gaining-friendly-advantage/ Fri, 09 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/gaining-friendly-advantage/ Brian Buck As the Evil Queen stares at the mirror waiting for the response she so desperately wants to hear, she is greeted instead with what needed to be said, for she is not the fairest of all. By contrast, the heroine, Snow White does not see her own beauty and kindness and stays hidden in the forest for fear of the Evil Queen. I see many negotiators who behave like the Evil Queen or behave like Snow White - which are you? https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/mirror-mirror/ Sun, 28 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/mirror-mirror/ Brian Buck In less than an hour the vendor discounted their price by 20%! I wish I could tell you it’s because I’m just that good (said with lots of sarcasm) but I literally had done nothing except ask a few questions and told them, “we need to think about it”. Little did I know that was the start of the end. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/moving-too-fast/ Sun, 28 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/moving-too-fast/ Brian Buck In a recent TED Talk from Anil Seth describing how our brain constructs reality, he made an interesting statement, “If hallucination is a kind of uncontrolled perception, then perception right here and right now is also a kind of hallucination… In fact, we're all hallucinating all the time, including right now. It's just that when we agree about our hallucinations, we call that reality.” After I chuckled at my perceived hallucination called reality, it reminded me of the one hallucination that every negotiator suffers from… https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/negotiation-hallucinations/ Tue, 02 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/negotiation-hallucinations/ Ben Byth Be wary of what is lost or gained in the dying throws of a negotiation. We might be fatigued, deal focussed, or even under pressure to reach budget. Without a disciplined approach, it is quite likely mistakes will be made. If you think about it, when would you prefer to buy your next vehicle? In the middle of that salesperson’s budget cycle or at the end, when they may be under pressure? https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/closing-concessions/ Tue, 02 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/closing-concessions/ Brian Buck It never fails… I see smart, intelligent negotiators who have devoted lots of effort to prepare for their negotiation. They know their positions and limits. They’ve crafted a clever strategy. They have contingency plans. They’ve prepare their teams to work together. They know what they can concede and under what conditions they will concede them. But yet they fail to prepare for that one thing that derails all of their preparation… https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/why-did-you-ask-me-that/ Wed, 05 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/why-did-you-ask-me-that/ Tyler Hall Most of us likely won’t have an opportunity to negotiate with Donald Trump, but what an experience that would be! Some of us do negotiate with organisations that are Trump-like, though. Trump has a lot of power as leader of the USA and we have industries that have a lot of power through monopoly or oligopoly. If you are involved in these types of negotiations you could apply similar principles as those one might use negotiating with Trump. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/4-tips-for-negotiating-with-donald-trump/ Fri, 31 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/4-tips-for-negotiating-with-donald-trump/ Brian Buck You're Too Expensive! The most common objection I’ve heard from customers throughout the years is, “You are the most expensive.” I must be the luckiest the guy on the face of the earth to have only represented the most expensive brands and products in the marketplace! Who knew? Sarcasm aside, that’s obviously not the case. So why was I always hearing that I was the most expensive? More importantly, what did I do about it? https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/youre-too-expensive/ Tue, 07 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/youre-too-expensive/ Elizabeth Lewis Earlier this year I took up orienteering in the pursuit of increasing my fitness whilst getting out and about in the fresh air. For those of you unfamiliar with the sport, it is basically an extension of trail running whereby participants navigate to a set of controls with the aid of a map and compass. Competing against other runners, and with the goal of getting to the finish line in the quickest time, runners must contend with various challenges including time pressure, interpreting the map, strategising the best route between controls and navigating obstacles which include rocks, thick vegetation and steep contours. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/is-your-negotiation-strategy-stopping-you-from-achieving-your-objective/ Mon, 06 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/is-your-negotiation-strategy-stopping-you-from-achieving-your-objective/ Brian Buck Strength in numbers… Teamwork makes the dream work... We are better together… We’ve all heard these sayings about the virtues of working together. So much so, it’s often frowned upon when we work in our “silos”. But let’s face it, sometimes we can’t always work in teams to get a job done. At Scotwork we embrace and advocate a team approach to negotiations, but what do you do when you are all by yourself at the negotiation table? https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/all-alone/ Tue, 10 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/all-alone/ Stephen White The British are world champions at Understatement. From Captain Oates’ immortal "I am just going outside and may be some time" to the pilot of the British Airways plane hobbled by volcanic ash "Ladies and Gentlemen this is your captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped". Overstatement can also be an issue. How does a negotiator get the balance right? https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/understating-the-obvious/ Wed, 04 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/understating-the-obvious/ Stephen White Some years ago, I inherited from an elderly uncle a scruffy handwritten family tree of my father’s forebears. Intrigued and interested I did some research and expanded it, including my mother’s family, and then my wife’s family. When the technology became… https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/who-do-you-think-you-are/ Wed, 13 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/who-do-you-think-you-are/ Ananda Laberge “Mom! Why can’t I have the keys to the truck?!” My 16 year was a little exasperated with me when I told her she couldn’t drive our new truck while her car was in the shop. Instead of storming off when I said “no” or just letting me drive her, my independent teenager went into high gear and surprised me with what she did next… https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/fear-of-questions/ Tue, 12 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/fear-of-questions/ Alan Smith What a great question. And one I was asked recently by a client who was interested in figuring out a metric by which they could measure deals to figure out if they were good or not. I am sure in the past we have all sat back as the ink begins to dry... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/how-do-you-measure-success/ Fri, 01 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/how-do-you-measure-success/ Brian Buck “Do it or we walk!” threatened the fist pounding buyer. As you contemplate what to do, the level-headed buyer chimes in with, “I’d hate to see us walk. I know you guys are trying hard and I really like you, so maybe there’s something else you do?” Sound familiar? It should because it’s a negotiation technique based on the same Hollywood cliche that you see in just about every cop movie out there. It’s the old good cop, bad cop routine. It’s easy to spot, so what do you do when it happens to you? https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/good-cop-bad-cop/ Tue, 08 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/good-cop-bad-cop/ Apostolos Korlos Finishing a Marathon is a life’s dream for a runner. Thousands of amateur athletes live for the moment of crossing the finishing line of one of the hundreds of marathons organized around the world. The marathon, as any other demanding competition, requires.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/6-key-negotiation-insights-through-the-eyes-of-a-marathon-runner/ Fri, 27 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/6-key-negotiation-insights-through-the-eyes-of-a-marathon-runner/ Annabel Shorter In December 2015 my now-husband and I finally spotted a wedding venue that we thought was right for us. Inspections were made and options considered. By January we were in agreement that this was the place for us and that May 30th of that year was the… https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/something-borrowed-something-negotiated/ Fri, 06 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/something-borrowed-something-negotiated/ Tom Feinson Don’t ask me how but I managed to acquire a reader subscription account to the Financial Times recently. As a result; I thought I should check it out. To be honest, most of it is above my head but I did notice an article on the two leaders of the Brexit… https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/loss-adjusters/ Fri, 06 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/loss-adjusters/ Alan Smith “Remember to look at the stars not down at your feet” I was hugely saddened by the sad demise of Stephen Hawking this week but massively uplifted by, not only his life, but his wonderful approach to it and his ability to live it to the full in what most… https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/creativity-its-the-future/ Fri, 16 Mar 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/creativity-its-the-future/ Alan Smith You get what you pay for. Right? There is a lot of truth in the adage that you get what you pay for? The UK Government certainly found this out when outsourced service provider Carillion went bust... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/you-get-what-you-pay-for/ Mon, 05 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/you-get-what-you-pay-for/ Robin Copland Most negotiations are more complex than they appear. Even although, on the face of it, party A, the seller (as an example) is meeting party B (the buyer) in a simple transactional negotiation in which, hopefully, differences can be ironed out and traded… https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/same-page-negotiations/ Mon, 05 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/same-page-negotiations/ Stephen White Should foreign aid be traded for domestic support? Just before Christmas, when almost every member of the United Nations voted in favour of a resolution condemning the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move its embassy… https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/did-i-just-agree-with-donald-trump/ Sun, 21 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/did-i-just-agree-with-donald-trump/ Alan Smith Sunseeker? I wish. So we are at the start of the year! Spent too much over Christmas? Eaten and drank too much? https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/sunseeker/ Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/sunseeker/ Brian Buck After an intense negotiation with a prospective client, we walked away from a deal because we would literally make no money. Zilch. Nada. Nothing. I delivered the unfortunate news to our CFO and was expecting a little empathy, instead he said, “Why?? We could have made that work.” WHAT?!? I was livid. How could we do this business for $0? The company was so focused on profits that my compensation structure was based on profitability. It was obvious our company valued profitability above all else. This was a bad deal… or was it After an intense negotiation with a prospective client, we walked away from a deal because we would literally make no money. Zilch. Nada. Nothing. I delivered the unfortunate news to our CFO and was expecting a little empathy, instead he said, “Why?? We could have made that work.” WHAT?!? I was livid. How could we do this business for $0? The company was so focused on profits that my compensation structure was based on profitability. It was obvious our company valued profitability above all else. This was a bad deal… or was it https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/when-a-bad-deal-is-good/ Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2018/when-a-bad-deal-is-good/ Alan Smith Any negotiator worth their salt know the maxim, “it ain’t over till it’s over” is a maxim because it's true. Fans of Queens Park Rangers were lambasted by their manager for leaving before the end,... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/it-aint-over/ Fri, 15 Dec 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/it-aint-over/ Stephen White The announcement of the right royal wedding earlier this week coincides with the end of the preliminary Brexit negotiations, hopefully, which will be concluded by the start of the European Council meeting in December. I thought it might be fun for interested… https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/real-marriage-of-the-decade-or-will-it-be-a-divorce/ Fri, 01 Dec 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/real-marriage-of-the-decade-or-will-it-be-a-divorce/ John McMillan A characteristic of business in the UK in recent years, and I suspect in other countries, is the removal of people from the interface between buyer and seller. In the place of the traditional face-to-face meeting is the RFI, the RFP and the E-auction.… https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/who-needs-negotiators-when-you-have-processes/ Fri, 24 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/who-needs-negotiators-when-you-have-processes/ Sam MacBeth The climate of fear for British MP’s seemed to rise to new levels last week – with one BBC reporter stating that the emerging stories of sexual harassment would be bigger than the expenses scandal of a few years ago. Labour MP Clive Lewis is now being… https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/mind-your-language/ Fri, 10 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/mind-your-language/ Tom Feinson Recently Uber boss Travis Kalanick took an “indefinite leave of absence”. A phrase that coexists in the big book of signals next to “spending more time with the family” and just after “you have my 100% support”. True to form he has subsequently resigned. The question is why? https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/power-shifting-sand/ Fri, 03 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/power-shifting-sand/ Alan Smith Since becoming a Scotwork consultant eight years ago, I have noticed a dramatic change in people’s behaviour; and it’s not just happening here at home – it’s a worldwide phenomenon. My grandmother (God bless her) would have thought we had all gone mad,… https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/fined-for-not-being-creative-enough/ Fri, 27 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/fined-for-not-being-creative-enough/ Stephen White At the time of writing – Wednesday afternoon 11th October 2017 – there is claimed to be confusion about the Declaration of Independence of Catalonia. The widespread global understanding is that the President of the Catalonian Parliament unilaterally declared independence last night, and immediately suspended it to enable mediation to take place. But apparently this understanding does not pertain in Madrid. This morning the Spanish Prime Minister... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/you-may-not-be-interested-in-war-but-war-is-interested-in-you/ Mon, 16 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/you-may-not-be-interested-in-war-but-war-is-interested-in-you/ Alan Smith Just how do you listen to music these days? From the metal cylinder used to create the first recorded track, through vinyl, iPods and now the on-line streaming experience, music fans now have literally millions of tracks and songs available to listen to in hundreds of different ways. I know there has been something of a revival of vinyl, my daughter asked for a turntable for her 17th birthday. I had a temporary moment of cool when I retrieved a number of albums from the loft. Dark Side of the Moon was the first album I ever bought. Sadly, David Cassidy’s How Can I be Sure was my first single. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/ive-started-so-ill-finish/ Thu, 12 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/ive-started-so-ill-finish/ Keith Stacey Are you using a wish list during your negotiations? Perhaps you're aware of their use but not convinced of their merit during the negotiation process. Find out why wish lists are the Swiss army knife of negotiation https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/seven-tips-to-creating-the-ultimate-negotiation-wish-list/ Fri, 01 Sep 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/seven-tips-to-creating-the-ultimate-negotiation-wish-list/ Alan Smith No figures have been revealed as yet to how much Daniel Craig will get for reprising his James Bond role, which he again claims will be his last time, but I’ve got a feeling he may not need to head for the basics aisle in his local supermarket any time soon. Bond 25, which will be released in October 2019 under what I hope will be a much catchier title, is the 25th Bond (Dhooh), and Craig’s 5th. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/double-o-deal/ Fri, 25 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/double-o-deal/ Robin Copland Something interesting happened at the Athletics World Championships last week. Well, actually and to be fair, lots of interesting things happened. Mo Farah kept up his astonishing record by winning the Gold Medal in the 10000 metres. Sadly for him, he had to make do with a Silver in the 5000 metres race. Time finally caught up with Usain Bolt as he could only manage a Bronze Medal in the 100 metres and injury in the 4 x 100 metres relay during his last race. Justin Gatlin, who has been banned not once, but twice for using performance-enhancing drugs, won the 100 metre Gold Medal. 30 athletes and support staff fell victim to a suspected outbreak of norovirus... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/the-strange-tale-of-the-norovirus-bug-in-london/ Fri, 18 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/the-strange-tale-of-the-norovirus-bug-in-london/ Stephen White As the rhetoric between America and North Korea ratchets up serious people have to ask the question ‘What if someone does something very silly and presses the red button?’. If you saw the 2015 TV movie War Book where a fictional role play re-enactment of this type of scenario (in the movie’s case a nuclear explosion in India instigated by Pakistan) with War Office/COBRA personnel trying to strategize as events take place you will know that the effect of such an incident will be devastating... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/thinking-the-unthinkable/ Fri, 11 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/thinking-the-unthinkable/ Robin Copland The United Kingdom’s flagship carrier has been British Airways since the merger of British European Airways (BEA) and British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) in 1974. It has had a few ups and downs. In the 70s and early 80s, its reputation was patchy but from the mid-1980s for possibly the next ten to fifteen years, the airline became a genuine contender for the accolade “Best Airline in the World”. Indeed, one of its advertising straplines from the time was the “World’s Favourite Airline”. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/not-the-worlds-favourite-airline/ Fri, 04 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/not-the-worlds-favourite-airline/ Robin Copland It’s amazing how many people go into negotiations with no clear idea about their bottom line. “We’ll see how it goes,” seems to be the rather naïve thought and of course they leave themselves open to the risk of a really poor and unprofitable deal at the end of it. It is empowering to know your bottom line, especially when you have internal agreement at senior level. Think about it: the other side are aggressively demanding that you improve your terms, but you know that what they are asking for is beyond your bottom line. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/whos-going-to-pick-the-fruit/ Tue, 01 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/whos-going-to-pick-the-fruit/ Stephen White In his excellent book Homo Deus Yuval Harari describes an experiment conducted by Daniel Kahneman, who won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2002. A group of volunteers were asked to take part in a ‘short’ experiment - they were to place one hand into a bowl of water at an exact 14C (cold enough to be quite unpleasant) for 60 seconds. The same group were also asked to take part in a ‘long’ experiment – to place their other hand in a bowl of water at 14C for 90 seconds. However, unknown to the volunteers, a small amount of warmer water was added to this bowl in the last 30 seconds which raised the temperature to a slightly warmer 15C. Some did the ‘short’ experiment first, others did the ‘long’ experiment first... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/warm-water/ Tue, 27 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/warm-water/ Alan Smith Going in to negotiate with a party way bigger and in theory more powerful than you, can be a daunting experience. But before you hop onto the back foot and cower into the meeting, have a think about resetting your internal clock by thoughtfully estimating the power that you have, the source of this power and the way you use that power in the negotiation... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/its-not-about-how-big-you-are/ Tue, 20 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/its-not-about-how-big-you-are/ Stephen White You might have missed a news item reported a few weeks ago which if you had seen it would have given you a quiet moment of schadenfreude. Cherie Blair was gazumped. The story went that she offered £2.75m for a house in Marylebone and her offer was accepted, until the twice ex-wife of Elon Musk, actress Talulah Riley bid £3m and stole it from under her nose. Picture the scene... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/climate-of-change/ Fri, 09 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/climate-of-change/ Alan Smith The truth is sometimes you simply can’t. The dreadful news that is filling the news this week is of the terrorist attack in Manchester in which 22 people died and as I am writing this 64 people remain in hospital injured, 20 of whom are critical. How can anyone make sense of a child dying? Of a moment of pleasure for a young person celebrating the end of exams turning into a nightmare of unimaginable proportion? Or of the terrorist who sees a solution in bloodshed? https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/trying-to-make-sense/ Fri, 26 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/trying-to-make-sense/ Annabel Shorter Last week Theresa may declared herself that she will be ‘a bloody difficult woman’ in a warning to Jean-Claude Juncker regarding her likely stance in the upcoming Brexit negotiations. We are told that this was a criticism levelled at her by Ken Clarke some time ago. However, she said this with a degree of a pride, and I have my suspicions that she may well be right to be so. The issue of gender in negotiation is a fascinating one. Some time ago I was working with a prestigious, blue-chip organisation, training their buyers to improve their negotiating skills. They doubtless have in place all of the correct policies on diversity and social responsibility and I know that they are vehemently protective of their reputation... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/difficult-woman/ Mon, 15 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/difficult-woman/ Keith Stacey Negotiators face many dilemma's: • Should we actually negotiate or not? • How do we negotiate in regards to the value of the relationship? • Do we make the first proposal or respond? • Do we bluff or not? and • How do we define a good deal? So what should we do? https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/decisions-decisions-the-dilemmas-of-a-negotiator/ Tue, 11 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/decisions-decisions-the-dilemmas-of-a-negotiator/ Stephen White In the world of internet start-ups and disruptive technology the valuations placed on popular new entrants into a market continue to be completely out of whack with their profitability, as they were in the dot.com boom and bust 20 years ago. Companies with a market valuation of $1 billion or more, known as tech unicorns, include Snap Inc. the owners of Snapchat, Airbnb, and Uber. Snapchat is currently valued at between $25-35 billion. But it has never made a profit and its net worth, assets less liabilities, is only $1.5 billion. Airbnb has a market value of around $30 billion, about $7 billion more than physical competitor Hilton, but turned in its first profit only in the second half of 2016. And Uber, currently valued at between $60 -70 billion, made a $3 billion loss last year according to Bloomberg... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/taxi/ Fri, 10 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/taxi/ Alan Smith It has been an interesting few weeks for Theresa May. A bit of a Chinese curse that, to always live in interesting times. Firstly, she has had to deal with the new US president, where I find it hard to believe that Trump holds any attraction to her, no matter how opposite he is. Then there was the potential ban on Sir Mo Farah travelling to the US, averted by of all people, ex rival Boris Johnson. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/i-am-not-telling/ Fri, 03 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/i-am-not-telling/ Stephen White "That is why I have said before — and will continue to say — that every stray word and every hyped-up media report is going to make it harder for us to get the right deal for Britain." Theresa May has long repeated the mantra that she is not going to reveal the details of Britain’s Brexit negotiating tactics, because that would be poor negotiating practice. Yet in her speech on Tuesday she did just that. Here are some verbatim extracts – what deductions could you make from the highlighted words if you were a European bureaucrat charged with analysing Britain’s negotiating position... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/may-s-brexit-speech-giving-the-game-away/ Thu, 19 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/may-s-brexit-speech-giving-the-game-away/ Alan Smith I was thinking, as one is tended to do, over the January period, of any goals I could do with having as we waltz into 2017. Eat well, exercise regularly, spend more time on my relationships are my clear life goals. Frankly ones that we all probably share. But from a negotiation perspective, which after all is what I teach and consult in for a living, what three things would help people less focused on this area than I, make a distinct and significant improvement in their negotiation outcomes... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/three-things-to-do-in-2017/ Mon, 16 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/three-things-to-do-in-2017/ Stephen White Like the conference speaker who has the misfortune to be given the slot immediately after a brilliant raconteur, 2017 is unlikely to be a ‘wow’ year, following on as it does from a humdinger 2016. Unlikely, but not impossible, and it certainly got off to a great start with the unexpected resignation of the UK’s Permanent Representative to the EU Sir Ivan Rogers, an event which would probably have been called PRexit if it wasn’t so easy to mishear. Not only did he surprise everyone with his impeccable timing - the first Brexit bombshell of the year – but in his swan song note to colleagues he laid into the Government for its appalling state of Brexit preparation.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/sir-ivan-rogers-the-power-of-disruptive-behaviour/ Wed, 11 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2017/sir-ivan-rogers-the-power-of-disruptive-behaviour/ Robin Copeland You know, it’s not all sweetness and light in Lapland. People think (and to be fair, why shouldn’t they?), that all the work takes place on 24th December. Santa gets on his sledge and travels the world distributing largesse hither and thither. No one ever asks though what happens for the rest of the year. What – do they think that this mammoth distribution happens by magic? Well, I’ll admit that there is a bit of the magical and mystical about the whole operation; the reindeer-drawn sledge, for example, is a bit of a mystery, but for the rest – well, we’re talking slickness and speed and management of change and… But I’m ahead of myself... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/early-christmas-message/ Mon, 19 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/early-christmas-message/ Robin Copeland People think of negotiating as “that thing you do when you’re buying a car” (you’re probably haggling), or “that time you took a particularly sinuous series of bends at speed without driving over the cliff edge” (you were probably driving). At Scotwork, we are of the view that negotiating is that thing you do when something happens to make the status quo no longer tenable; in other words, external factors disrupt an ongoing relationship to the extent that contracts and relationships need to be re-aligned... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/brexit-its-not-all-bad-news/ Sat, 10 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/brexit-its-not-all-bad-news/ Alan Smith Two questions: When negotiating, do you want the other side to act reasonably? And, Is it a good strategy to be reasonable when negotiating? Most people will say yes to the first question. It would be crazy not to. The second however creates a bit more of a dilemma. We are sometimes tempted to go high or low, pad and exaggerate what we really anticipate being able to achieve. Because that is what we should do right?... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/play-nice/ Sun, 27 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/play-nice/ Stephen White I predict a spike in the birth-rate at the beginning of August 2017 because thousands of people, in the US and around the world, were making babies last night. There is much anecdotal evidence that after a trauma people take solace with each other. How many couples will have gone to bed last night whispering to each other ‘WTF (Will Trump Flourish?)’ before rolling over and occupying themselves with other things? https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/making-babies-called-donald/ Fri, 11 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/making-babies-called-donald/ Robin Copeland Complicated negotiations often involve different meetings, different personnel, different issues and, in the case of the upcoming Brexit negotiations, different countries! The key word in this kind of negotiation is alignment and that involves a number of different factors and considerations. We can learn from the insect world; think bees! Perhaps first and foremost, there needs to be a central “go-to” point where all the information and meeting notes are collated and stored. It is vital to have a central hive of information that teams preparing for a new round of negotiation can reference. The old phrase, “singing off the same hymn sheet” has a certain resonance in this regard. The workers need a point of reference... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/busy-as-brexiteer-bees/ Fri, 04 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/busy-as-brexiteer-bees/ Alan Smith What do Joni Mitchell and Boris Johnston have in common? Well very little I suspect, but they do both share an interesting way of looking at issues before finally making up their minds. “Both Sides Now” is one of Joni Mitchells most famous songs and appeared on her 1969 Album, Clouds. She says that she has investigated life, love and clouds from both sides, the inspiration being that she was on a transatlantic flight and looked down on the clouds rather than the more customary up. Boris Johnson was quoted in the press this weekend of having a similar way of making up his mind when considering his view of whether to support Britain’s In or Out vote over the now decided Brexit. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/i-look-at-brexit-from-both-sides-now/ Sat, 29 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/i-look-at-brexit-from-both-sides-now/ Robin Copeland This isn’t going to be popular; to write it – even to think it - sticks in my throat as it offends against my innate sense of fair play and good will to all people, but there really are times when I want to take our elected representatives to one side and slap them about the face. They pontificate and they grandstand; they puff themselves up into rice krispies of righteous indignation; they adopt their “holier than thou” positions; they occasionally demonstrate a frightening lack of common sense and commercial nous and, at the same time, they would have us weaken our position in future negotiations.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/when-are-eu-citizens-bargaining-chips-when-they-are/ Fri, 21 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/when-are-eu-citizens-bargaining-chips-when-they-are/ Robin Copeland What do Ben & Jerry's ice cream, Pot Noodles, Persil, Dove soap and Marmite have in common? They are all made by Unilever. What does Unilever and Tesco have in common? Dave Lewis, Tesco’s current boss, spent most of his career at Unilever before being poached by Tesco. What does all of this have to do with negotiating? Well, having been in a stand-off that threatened to damage both parties, heads were banged together on Thursday 13 October and a deal was done. We at Scotwork have constantly maintained that external factors are the most common cause of the kinds of conflicts that need negotiated solutions and what happened between Tesco and Unilever is a classic example. External factors do not come much bigger than Brexit... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/stand-off-in-the-aisles/ Mon, 17 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/stand-off-in-the-aisles/ Rafael Castellanos and Silvio Escudero A couple of weeks ago we were surprised by the results of the “referendum” in Colombia. Colombians faced this question: “Do you support the final agreement to end the conflict and build a long-lasting and stable peace?”. This question referred to the agreement reached by the Colombian Government and FARC (oldest guerrilla group in the country). It was an agreement to put an end to a 52-years conflict that brought to the country thousands of casualties and displaced people, not to mention the impact of this conflict in the social and economic development of the country for decades.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/colombian-peace-process-and-now-what/ Fri, 14 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/colombian-peace-process-and-now-what/ Yannis Dimarakis By November 9th, we will probably know the name of the next president of the USA. As the polls are not decisive, the statistical probability of Trump winning, is a real one. The negotiating profile of incumbent American presidents is instrumental to the behavior of “the country with the greatest influence on the planet”, on a range of issues, ranging from global challenges like climate change, to regional trouble spots like Syria, North Korea etc...> https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/donald-trumps-negotiating-profile-and-its-consequences-for-us-international-relations/ Fri, 07 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/donald-trumps-negotiating-profile-and-its-consequences-for-us-international-relations/ Alan Smith Walk out the door? Maybe not quite as easy as you may think. The challenge for anyone in a long term relationship, business or pleasure, and particularly one experiencing difficulty is: do I invest in trying to fix it or cut my losses? Look at the massive challenge surrounding the Brexit campaign... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/go-on-now-go/ Fri, 20 May 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/go-on-now-go/ Alan Smith Well there are actually! Negotiation involves cold logic, cutting through all the verbiage, careful and clear analysis of the volatile and unpredictable environment before coolly selecting the correct option. Problem is we rarely get the time when making the hundreds of decisions we need to make each day in the negotiations that we do in both our commercial and personal lives. Emotions play a huge part in the actions we take and to some extent the brains higher function has been argued is to sort out many of the choices we have already made and make sense of them after the fact... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/no-hard-feelings/ Fri, 18 Mar 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/no-hard-feelings/ Stephen White A BBC reporter recently went to the Island of Lewis, part of the Outer Hebrides off the coast of Scotland, to gauge reaction to the increasing likelihood that Donald Trump will be the Republican presidential candidate. Donald Trump’s mother comes from Lewis; he is so to speak one of theirs. The journalist found that the islanders were less than enthusiastic about him.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/bragging/ Fri, 11 Mar 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/bragging/ Robin Copeland It’s not that David Cameron does not have his troubles to seek as he shuttles around Europe trying to secure support for a modified agreement with the UK’s fellow European Union member states, but I bet you he wishes he had not been quite so cavalier as to promise an “in-out referendum” in the period leading up to the 2015 UK general election. Politically, he felt that he had to do it to give some kind of sop to the so-called “Euro-sceptic” wing of the Conservative Party and to prevent further haemorrhaging of potential supporters to UKIP... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/no-pressure/ Fri, 19 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/no-pressure/ Stephen White I had a haircut today, and learnt something simple but useful. Chatting to the barber I asked if he had ever been to a particular local restaurant. Yes, he said, but it was about 5 years ago and it wasn’t very good. He had found a small piece of plastic in his mouth whilst eating his meal, and he was unimpressed with the response from the waiter. He explained. “I said to him, I am not complaining or making a fuss, because I am not that kind of person, but I think you should know that this piece of plastic was in my food. The waiter looked at it and said ‘Cool, man. Thanks for telling me’, and wandered off.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/haircut-101/ Fri, 12 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/haircut-101/ Alan Smith My little girl was reluctant to use her full beam when driving, preferring to keep to dipped headlights even in the pitch of night... When I asked her why, she said she preferred to focus on what was directly in front of her and did not want to be distracted by the distance.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/driving-with-dipped-headlights/ Tue, 02 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/driving-with-dipped-headlights/ Stephen White It occurred to me. The most prominent current industrial dispute in England, between the Government and the Junior Doctors, might be an excellent vehicle to analyse how Millennials (defined typically as born after 1983) negotiate, and whether Millennial traits have impacted on the negotiations. For non-UK readers; ‘junior doctors’ includes doctors from the time they leave medical school to the time when they are appointed as ‘Consultants’, typically about 10 years later. There are about 55,000 of them, a very important component of the medical provision in England (the dispute does not affect doctors in Scotland or Wales). The dispute dates back to 2012, when the employers announced that they wanted to update the terms of employing junior doctors. Negotiations have been on and off since then, but on Monday they broke down and the doctor’s union (the BMA) announced strikes for later this month... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/the-traitment-of-junior-doctors/ Mon, 11 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2016/the-traitment-of-junior-doctors/ Robin Copeland and Stephen White George Santanaya’s maxim that ‘those who fail to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors are destined to repeat them’ has a corollary. We should use the successes of the past and repeat our behaviour with the problems of today? In particular, can we replicate the negotiating behaviour which brought about the Irish peace agreement to effect a negotiated settlement in the Middle East, and stop the carnage of Paris on 13/11, perpetrated by ISIS? https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/no-discussion-just-death/ Fri, 20 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/no-discussion-just-death/ Mark Simpson A recent article on Stuff reveals that New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra are telling suppliers they must “share the pain” of its farmer shareholders by slashing their prices by 10% and waiting much longer for payment. Those suppliers who are not dependent on Fonterra business will likely stick two fingers up to the co-operative, depriving it of presumably good suppliers of goods or services. Many of those who can’t afford to walk away will no doubt feel pressured to accept. How should they respond?.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/sell-to-us-cheaper-and-wait-longer-for-payment-demands-fonterra/ Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/sell-to-us-cheaper-and-wait-longer-for-payment-demands-fonterra/ David Bannister Daniel Hannan is a British Member of the European Parliament (MEP), an institution for which he seems to have little warmth (as do quite a number of other British MEPs). The UK has announced its intention to renegotiate the terms of its membership of the European Union (EU) and to put the issue to a referendum in the next couple of years. The tactics of all of this are of more than passing interest to a negotiator. So far, our Prime Minister, David Cameron, has made only relatively vague references to what issues will be on the agenda when he negotiates with his fellow leaders, some of whom have wasted no time to tell Cameron what they think will not be on the agenda. Those of us interested in the negotiating tactics might conclude (as I do) that not saying what you want is not a great starting point on the journey to getting what you want... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/what-to-do-when-you-know-its-important/ Fri, 23 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/what-to-do-when-you-know-its-important/ John McMillan A story in the British press reads that oilfield services provider Halliburton has made an offer to swallow rival Baker Hughes for $35 billion; Schlumberger has weighed in on equipment maker Cameron International in a $14.8 billion deal. Companies that specialise in one part of the services market, for example offshore drilling, are in a difficult situation and are finding themselves squeezed by their customers to such an extent that, in order to survive, they are having to accept takeover deals from bigger rivals or risk going out of business; takeover deals that would not have been countenanced 18 months ago are suddenly now acceptable – even welcome.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/a-fine-line/ Fri, 02 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/a-fine-line/ Romana Henry I go running regularly with a good friend and neighbour who happens to be a criminal defense lawyer. She is married to another lawyer who works in property and estate settlement etc. On our runs, we exchange tips and advice. She tells me how expensive it would be to divorce my husband, why I shouldn’t burn a red light and why helping my 17 year old daughter to obtain fake I.D. to get into pubs really isn’t a good idea. Why I really must make a will soon, when to put my house on the market and what home improvements not to bother with. In exchange I tell her how to get a better deal in her various negotiations and we regularly brain storm long lists of things which she would like to get in negotiations in exchange for things she knows she will have to concede. Quite a pair we are. Imagine how much faster we would run if we spoke less and breathed more.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/give-to-get-when-persuasion-doesnt-work/ Fri, 25 Sep 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/give-to-get-when-persuasion-doesnt-work/ Simon Letchford In 1978, US President Jimmy Carter brokered the first peace agreement between Egypt and a free Jewish nation in over 2,000 years. If email had been widely available, do you think he could have used it to save everyone 13 days at Camp David? Many clients ask me whether they should negotiate by email, expecting me to say no. My answer is always the same – “Absolutely. Sometimes.” Here are some trade-offs to consider before you press SEND.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/to-type-or-not-to-typethe-pitfalls-of-negotiating-via-email/ Fri, 18 Sep 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/to-type-or-not-to-typethe-pitfalls-of-negotiating-via-email/ Robin Copeland I was interested by a report I read on the NHS website on 21 August in which Public Health England published an “evidence review” about e-cigarettes, stating that they were 95% safer than cigarettes and that, further, they were an effective quitting aid for smokers. As a result of the review, e-cigarettes are to be licensed and regulated as an aid to quit smoking from 2016.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/lesser-of-two-evils/ Fri, 28 Aug 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/lesser-of-two-evils/ Sam MacBeth Although news of a pay differential between men and women doing the same or similar jobs is nothing new, recent studies suggest that even when women are on the employer’s side of a negotiation, men can feel more threatened by a female boss, and tend to negotiate using more extreme positions. In one survey, male and female college students at a U.S. university were asked to negotiate their salary at a new job in a computer exercise with a male or female hiring manager. Once they had, the participants were asked to guess words that appeared on a computer for a fraction of a second. Those who selected words such as "fear" or "risk" were judged to feel more threatened.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/engendering-negotiations/ Fri, 07 Aug 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/engendering-negotiations/ Stephen White Two negotiated deals of historic significance. One between Greece and the EU/Eurozone, the other between Iran and the P5+1. Both are hailed as a victory for diplomacy. Both are rubbish. Both are being derided and disowned in all quarters. Both are disintegrating as the ink dries. What do we learn?... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/rubbish-diplomacy/ Thu, 23 Jul 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/rubbish-diplomacy/ Stephen White How many deadlines have been and gone in the continuing saga of the economic chaos in Greece? I would suggest there have been so many that we no longer believe that any of them really mattered – or ever will matter in the future. The crescendo of press speculation in recent days indicates yet again that the media believes we might be getting close to a crisis point. That is because Greece has a large repayment of debt – a tidy €1.6 billion - to make to the International Monetary Fund by June 30th, and there isn’t that much in the Greek coffers, so there is a real possibility that Greece will default that day, triggering the much publicised exit of Greece from the Eurozone, commonly known as the Grexit. Add to this the fact that in recent days, talks between the various parties have all but broken down... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/its-always-my-fault/ Sat, 20 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/its-always-my-fault/ Stephen White A woman tries to board an overcrowded bus at the bus depot. The passengers bar her way. She protests. ‘I must be allowed to get on this bus’ she says. ‘Why’, the other passengers reply. ‘What makes you so important that you should take priority over others who are already on the bus?’ ‘Because I’m the driver’ she says. Two weeks ago we saw Sepp Blatter exercising his rights as the ‘driver’ to stay on the bus, even though more and more of his fellow passengers were uncomfortable with his insistence to do so. Eventually the pressure got to him, and now the whole FIFA edifice is collapsing before our eyes.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/why-sepp-blatter-has-my-sympathy/ Fri, 12 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/why-sepp-blatter-has-my-sympathy/ Stephen White On the day this blog is published the population of the UK vote in elections for their next government. Opinion polls put the two main parties neck and neck, with neither commanding a strong enough following to win an outright majority. So the result is likely to be a minority government which will have to form a coalition or make deals with the handful of minor parties in order to be able to govern. Even if there is an outright majority for one party the margin will be so small that alliances will need to be forged for effective government to survive. Do we have a cadre of politicians who can rise to the challenge of creating these deals through effective and inspired negotiating?... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/negotiating-advice-for-politicians/ Thu, 07 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/negotiating-advice-for-politicians/ Alan Smith A couple of weeks ago we asked readers to submit words (made up ones) and their definitions as part of a tongue in cheek exploration of a new vocabulary for the seasoned negotiator to describe behaviours, activities, tricks and techniques they have encountered whilst participating in the noble art of negotiation. Regular readers may recall that we suggested that linguists and philosophers recognize that language defines reality. The way we talk about a subject creates the landscape in which that subject lives. Just as we are often said to be what we eat, we are in many respects are what we say... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/the-meaning-of-liff-part-2/ Fri, 03 Apr 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/the-meaning-of-liff-part-2/ Stephen White Driving to a meeting recently I was brought low by a radio programme about dementia. The story, told by her family and her medical team, was of the remainder of the life of a bubbly and vivacious woman who was diagnosed with dementia at the age of 80. As her condition worsened she became increasingly uncommunicative and aggressive, and finally died some 13 years later. One element of the unfolding story was unusual. In middle age she had made a living will... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/negotiating-the-will-to-live/ Fri, 13 Mar 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/negotiating-the-will-to-live/ Yannis Dimarakis Most of you have followed (to some extent at least) the negotiations between the recently elected Greek government and its European partners. Depending on his or her political persuasion, an observer may feel in a number of ways regarding the outcome. So was the agreement a huge success, or was it a full capitulation of the Greek government?... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/its-all-in-the-packaging/ Mon, 02 Mar 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/its-all-in-the-packaging/ Yannis Dimarakis As these lines are written, the negotiations between the Greek government and its Eurogroup partners are still under way. As the end result is not yet known (and probably will not be for some days) some mistakes of the Greek handling of the situation are already discernible. Here are three obvious mistakes I have selected to discuss in this article... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/key-errors-in-the-greek-negotiating-strategy/ Thu, 19 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/key-errors-in-the-greek-negotiating-strategy/ Alan Smith There is one group for whom cheaper oil is bad news — oil producers, who've been having an amazing run between a combination of higher prices and surging production. For the rest of us it may be pretty good news. For the negotiator there is certainly the potential of a discussion dependent on the relationship between the price of oil and that of your end products, and how you approach it will depend on which side of the fence you sit... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/pour-oil-on-it/ Fri, 16 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2015/pour-oil-on-it/ The Scotowrk team On Christmas Day 1914 the guns fell silent on no mans land. English, Irish, Welsh and Scottish Soldiers emerged from their trenches to meet the German enemy to shake hands and exchange gifts. Despite that only hours previously they had been involved in a vicious and unrelenting exchange of bullets, they engaged in an improvised and good humoured football match on the battlefields, Germany V Great Britain. Germany it is rumoured won 3 – 2. Did it happen? And why?... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/pipes-of-peace/ Fri, 19 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/pipes-of-peace/ Alan Smith Who does the housework in your house? Seems this is a much bigger issue than you might think. Or maybe it is already a huge issue for you. I suspect it depends on who does it and whether you care. It certainly seems to cause significant conflict if the radio is to be believed. I have a confession to make. As someone who works a lot from home I find myself in an office in my garden with very little company apart from the radio. A guilty highlight (sometimes) is Women’s Hour on BBC Radio 4. Remarkably there has been a controversial theme over the last few weeks focused exclusively on housework, and who does it... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/chore-wars/ Tue, 16 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/chore-wars/ Stephen White An American President (depending on your politics it could be any American President since Eisenhower) visits a class of 9 year-olds. The class is discussing the meaning of the word tragedy. The President asks ‘Can anyone give me an example of the word ‘tragedy’. Peter says ‘My friend ran into the road and was killed by a passing car – that is a tragedy’. ‘No’, says the President, ‘that is an accident’. Jane says ‘There is a chemical leak at a factory and 2500 people are killed – that is a tragedy’. ‘No’, says the President, ‘I would call that a devastating loss’. William says ‘The Presidential plane is blown out of the sky by a ground-to-air missile fired by a rogue American soldier, and you are on board – that would be a tragedy’.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/bhopal/ Wed, 10 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/bhopal/ Stephen White At first glance there may not seem much in common between Formula One racing and chartered accountancy. So the news today that KPMG have teamed up with a division of the McLaren racing team is both unexpected and exciting. McLaren will give KPMG access to the methodology they use to process the amounts of ‘big-data’ such as the information they collect as the racing car speeds round the track so that it can be used to help them make predicative decisions such as when to bring a car in for a pit stop. KPMG intend to use this information in a number of ways, most commonly to help them identify (predict) future problems and issues when they are doing audit work, rather than allowing the audit simply to be a backward looking view of a corporate body. Part of the deal is that KPMG will become one of the sponsors of the McLaren team – it is good to see that both parties used their negotiating skills to make a good trade.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/accountants-are-all-torque/ Fri, 21 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/accountants-are-all-torque/ Alan Smith There are three things that stick out for me from the new series of The Apprentice. The first is that at 10 years old it remains remarkably good telly. The introduction of new tweaks and twists on a familiar format makes it essential viewing if you want to have something to say at the water cooler. Not many programs still pass that test.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/business-survival-of-the-nastiest/ Sun, 26 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/business-survival-of-the-nastiest/ Gaetan Pellerin We’ve all been trained to hide our emotions in a business environment—especially during negotiation. Keep your emotions out of negotiations or the other side may crush you, right? Not exactly, because you can’t negotiate effectively as a detached robot. So how do you find the happy medium? Recognize that emotions—positive and negative—are totally normal during a negotiation. But we’re often so busy driving the conversation, persuading the other party and doing everything we can to close the deal, that in the moment, we lose touch with our emotions. Or we choose not to deal with them... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/get-real-about-emotions/ Mon, 13 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/get-real-about-emotions/ Stephen White Imagine this scenario. You are driving through city streets as a passenger with a colleague at the wheel. He is driving faster than the speed limit, trying to get a meeting on time, and is involved in a minor accident; no one is hurt but the police are called. Passers-by who witnessed the event tell the police they think your colleague was speeding. He asks you to speak as a witness on his behalf; to testify that he wasn’t speeding. What would you do? The Universalist sees this problem in terms of the uniformity of the application of laws and regulations. The issues of loyalty and the attempt to be punctual for a meeting are irrelevant; if the law has been broken then the consequences should be suffered by all, notwithstanding special circumstances or relationships. The Particularist sees the same problem in terms of extenuating circumstances and relationships. No one got hurt, you know your colleague is usually a safe driver, being truthful may well affect the relationship with him and possibly impose a driving penalty on him as well.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/universalists-of-the-world-beware/ Thu, 02 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/universalists-of-the-world-beware/ Alan Smith On 18 September voters in Scotland will be asked the Yes/No question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?" The final push for votes comes as a YouGov poll run by the Sunday Times suggested that, of those who have made up their mind, 51% planned to back independence, while 49% intended to vote no. Looks like the vote is going to go to the wire... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/time-is-running-out/ Tue, 16 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/time-is-running-out/ Stephen White Just as they say that everyone remembers what they were doing when they heard that JFK had been assassinated, the same applies to 9/11. In my case I was in a Dixons electrical shop; I watched the second plane fly into the building on a wall of about 50 TVs which were on display for sale, all showing the identical picture. I commented on the devastating nature of the spectacle to the sales assistant who was completing my purchase. ‘It’s just TV’ he said, not recognising that the event was real. The result of that attack, the War on Terror and the subsequent events in Afghanistan and Iraq, continue to affect our daily lives... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/where-were-you/ Fri, 29 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/where-were-you/ Tom Feinson As ever it feels like little or no time has elapsed between the end of one season and the beginning of another. The World Cup serves to heighten those feelings, but here we are on the eve of new season, that blissful period where our hopes, dreams and aspirations are as yet undashed. The glorious “Transfer Window” (unless of course you are Southampton) enables teams to offload a dodgy left back or temperamental winger (should that be whinger) and land a top quality striker ‘Who is going to give us 30 goals a season’... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/show-me-the-money/ Fri, 22 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/show-me-the-money/ John McMillan On September 18th, Scotland, part of the United Kingdom for 300 years, is holding a referendum on whether to split away from the rest of the UK and become an independent country. Assuming that there is a ‘Yes’ vote, the Scottish Government has a massive negotiating challenge ahead if it is to meet its self-imposed deadline of 24th March 2016; barely 18 months after the votes will be counted... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/countdown-conundrum/ Mon, 18 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/countdown-conundrum/ Stephen White As I write, in Israel and Gaza the conflict continues, and two thousand miles away the aggression between those Ukrainians who want their country to face East, and those who want it to face West also continues. The collateral damage in both cases is tragic; men, women and children who have nothing to do with any political or ideological movement are killed and injured by rockets and tank shells which are aimed indiscriminately at population centres, or which shoot a commercial plane out of the sky... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/the-impotence-of-negotiators/ Fri, 01 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/the-impotence-of-negotiators/ Mark Simpson The media has discovered that Council controlled Auckland Transport is using special shuttles to move staff around Auckland – apparently because it’s faster than the public transport they provide the public. When challenged Auckland Transport shot themselves in the foot and provided us with a beautiful example of argument dilution. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/argument-dilutiuon-the-auckland-transport-way/ Wed, 25 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/argument-dilutiuon-the-auckland-transport-way/ Alan Smith Politicians who promise that the streets will be paved with gold and deliver nothing but cobbled cul-de-sacs, managers who claim that the future will be filled with bonuses and jam while delivering dry crust and the negotiator who offers a future filled with high volume orders and pulls them whilst pocketing the promotional bonus. Nothing offends the sensibility quite so much as the empty promise delivered with mind-boggling confidence.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/talent-is-overrated/ Fri, 23 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/talent-is-overrated/ Stephen White During the Pistorius trial I happened to spend some time with a friend who is a judge. I asked him if over his 30 years of experience he had developed a sense of who was telling the truth, particularly important when the outcome of a court case between a plaintiff and a defendant at war depended on which version of events the judge believed because there were no witnesses. Yes, he said, you do get a feel for it; it’s not infallible but you usually know who is telling the truth.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/i-believed-every-word/ Fri, 02 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/i-believed-every-word/ Alan Smith Sun Tzu, the legendary Chinese Military tactician said “To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.” I was reminded of this famous quote when I read a review of Robert Lindsay’s new play, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, in which Lindsay talked about his political past. For people of my generation, Lindsay came to prominence in his breakthrough role as a hapless Marxist in the TV sitcom Citizen Smith... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/know-your-enemy/ Fri, 11 Apr 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/know-your-enemy/ Stephen White Our propensity to believe the unbelievable is enhanced by a world which is increasingly intrinsically unbelievable. I find myself gawping at the news on a daily basis. Facebook paid $19,000,000,000 for an App which employs only 55 people and doesn’t take advertising? Did your finger get stuck on the zero button? Candy Crush Saga, a moronically addictive computer game, has been downloaded more than half a billion times? You’re pulling my leg. ATMs already exist for a virtual currency which has existed for only 4 years, is prone to vast fluctuations in value, and is often used for money laundering? Surely not.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/duck-quacks-dont-echo/ Fri, 28 Feb 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/duck-quacks-dont-echo/ Alan Smith Switzerland's economy is booming at the moment, and unemployment is low, but many Swiss worry about what they see as a looming problem, namely, immigration. Last year 80,000 new immigrants arrived in Switzerland with a relatively small overall population of around 5 million, and foreigners now make up 23% of the inhabitants. It is the continent's second highest foreign population after Luxembourg, for whom 42% are immigrants... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/cuckoo-is-the-clock-running-out-on-switzerland/ Mon, 17 Feb 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/cuckoo-is-the-clock-running-out-on-switzerland/ Robin Copeland For a man who trained as a physician at the university of Damascus and who spent two years in post graduate training in ophthalmology at the Western Eye Hospital, part of the St Mary’s group of teaching hospitals in London; a man, furthermore, who had few, if any, political aspirations until his brother’s death in 1994, President Bashar al-Assad of Syria is taking a pretty myopic view of retaining political power! For the past two years he and the Syrian political establishment have been engaged in a ruthless battle for power with the loosely-defined but western-supported opposition rebel forces.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/thats-one-way-of-looking-at-it/ Fri, 31 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/thats-one-way-of-looking-at-it/ Alan Smith New Year’s resolutions. We all do them. Although I have to say come March time they tend to have disappeared unlike the food belly that sadly gets a little bit bigger and more stubborn with each passing decade. So what’s the point? I guess they give us a little bit of focus for what should be important to us following a couple of weeks off from the ever spinning, ever faster treadmill that we call life... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/new-years-evolution/ Fri, 10 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2014/new-years-evolution/ Alan Smith Today’s friend is tomorrow’s foe in this dynamic and complex world. Barely a day goes by without mergers, acquisitions, take overs (hostile or not) or promotions, that takes the guy you were managing and makes him your boss. How do we best manage our relationships to get the most out of them in this constant flux? Seems the best way of building rapport is to focus on what psychologists call ‘uncommon commonalities’.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/whose-side-are-you-on/ Mon, 16 Dec 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/whose-side-are-you-on/ Mike Freedman Like most sales people I talk about value first and price last. This week was no exception. My prospective client was considering courses for the company’s purchasing managers. The meeting was going very well, and when the quotation was requested I announced the total price for our three-day negotiating skills course upon which my much-interested prospective client asked…"is that the cost per day?"... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/be-careful-how-you-ask/ Fri, 08 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/be-careful-how-you-ask/ Stephen White The Oxford English Dictionary defines charm as ‘the power or quality of delighting, attracting, or fascinating others’. It is a word which has been much used recently about the newly elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, in particular in connection with the speech he made to the United Nations General Assembly on September 24th. It is difficult to know how much the world’s perception of his charm is actually a reflection on the lack of this same quality in his predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/charm-offensive/ Fri, 18 Oct 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/charm-offensive/ Simon Letchford This week’s government shutdown makes both sides of politics look dreadful. A poll this week had Congress less popular than head lice and root-canal surgery. But, channelling Rahm Emmanuel, (“never let a serious crisis go to waste”), here are a few negotiating lessons to take from Washington’s latest home-cooked fiasco.. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/dumb-and-dumber/ Sat, 05 Oct 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/dumb-and-dumber/ Mark Simpson So the Americas Cup is finally over and four million plus Kiwi’s are in disbelief and mourning for what could and should have been. Emirates Team New Zealand were 8:1 up. How or earth could Oracle Team USA have staged one of the biggest come backs in sporting history to keep the Americas Cup? Quite easy really and there are some real lessons to be learned for negotiators, managers and their organisations. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/when-good-enough-isnt/ Sun, 29 Sep 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/when-good-enough-isnt/ Stephen White In the week when the UK Government failed to secure the agreement of Parliament to take military action against the use of chemical weapons in Syria, I read about an interesting phenomenon which might help explain this failure, and which should worry President Obama who remarkably has gone for the same high-risk strategy, in his case asking Congress before taking military action. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/off-their-trolley/ Fri, 06 Sep 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/off-their-trolley/ Stephen White Do the Middle East negotiators have the skills to succeed? As talks begin in Washington between Israeli and Palestinian representatives – talks which both sides have described as negotiations – it is worthwhile considering their chances of success over the next nine months which is the timeframe they have given themselves. Past experience gives us little hope. The Oslo Accords and the Camp David Summit were both trumpeted as great opportunities, and both ultimately failed. There has been little talk between the parties since, at least in public. Is this because the Middle East problem is inherently insoluble, or because the capabilities of the parties are inadequate? https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/tragedy/ Thu, 01 Aug 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/tragedy/ Alan Smith There is no doubt that people are strange. You and especially me! A number of studies into social psychology in the 1960’s sought to look at how this strangeness affects the way we live our lives and conduct our affairs. In 1966 experimenters went door to door in a suburban neighborhood asking residents if they would agree to a huge advertisement reading, “drive safely” being erected in their garden. They were shown a picture of how it would look. Just so you know the photo showed a lovely home almost totally obscured by the billboard... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/why-we-can-be-persuaded-to-do-stupid-things/ Mon, 03 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/why-we-can-be-persuaded-to-do-stupid-things/ Alan Smith Asking good questions that are tough, direct and specific is one of the key things we can do to improve the quality of our negotiation behavior and resulting outcomes. A study in the US tried to identify the best kind of questions to ask in a classic buyer seller relationship... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/there-is-such-a-thing-as-a-stupid-question/ Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/there-is-such-a-thing-as-a-stupid-question/ Alan Smith The UK Government announced last week, a string of reforms designed to change the way that prisons operate. One of the key areas is the way that prisoners earn privileges. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said: "In the past, we've sent the wrong message. “From November, inmates must "actively earn privileges" and are being warned a simple absence of bad behaviour will "not be enough"... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/concessions-must-be-earned/ Fri, 10 May 2013 03:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/concessions-must-be-earned/ Robin Copland BMW used to do it. So did Mercedes. Porsche and Ferrari still do as far as I am aware, though it’s been a while since I checked. Then along came the so-called “budget” airlines and the tactic is back in vogue with a vengeance. It starts with a loud - gaudy even – welcome page on which there is loudly displayed a low figure. At the time of writing, the figure is £10. The word “cheap” appears and you are tempted along to the “flights” window. “£10” and “flights” together; it’s a heady mix that conjures up the golden age of travel together with cheap air fares, so you delve deeper. Mind you – the words “golden age of travel” and “Ryanair” are not comfortable bedfellows, but never mind; I live in Edinburgh – where could I go? What could go wrong?... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/add-on/ Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/add-on/ David Bannister Many words have been written in the past few days since the death of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, some reflect her perceived greatness and others portray her as a class enemy. I cannot hope to emulate the lyrical heights to which some have soared in the press. I can, however, look back and reflect on the way she dealt with trade unions and specifically the National Union of Mineworkers in the 1980s. During that time I was an Industrial Relations Officer in a manufacturing factory situated in the middle of the South Yorkshire coalfield. Friends and neighbours were involved both practically and emotionally in all of the events of that memorable year from March 1984 to March 1985... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/thatcher-power-and-the-lessons-of-confrontation/ Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/thatcher-power-and-the-lessons-of-confrontation/ The Scotwork UK team Over the weekend there were reports in the UK media that the multinational retailer Laura Ashley had written to its suppliers requesting an immediate 10% cost price reduction on all orders already agreed and contracted. The demand was accompanied by a statement that this would save Laura Ashley the need to review its supplier base – in other words, failure to agree would prompt such a review, and some suppliers would inevitably be delisted as a result... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/bad-behaviour/ Fri, 29 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/bad-behaviour/ Mark Simpson Nervous negotiators may often be tempted to partake in a drop of “Dutch Courage” before entering what they anticipate will be difficult negotiations. Our advice is DON’T and it seems the United Nations now agree with us. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/dutch-courage-doesn-t-improve-negotiated-outcomes/ Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:40:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/dutch-courage-doesn-t-improve-negotiated-outcomes/ Alan Smith Perhaps a better question might be, where’s the beef? The continuing furore about what actually is in European food products took another turn when Findus had to withdraw all of their Frozen Beef Lasagne after it was discovered that the beef was actually horse. Neigh I hear you cry... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/whats-the-beef/ Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/whats-the-beef/ Gaëtan Pellerin Each of us has encountered this type of negotiator: A customer who threatens to give your business to a competitor if you don’t give in to what he or she wants. A family member or close friend who behaves as a victim, playing the guilt card. Or an angry boss when the outcome is not what he or she expected... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/negotiating-with-bullies/ Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/negotiating-with-bullies/ Alan Smith Following the Christmas break, you could be forgiven for thinking this stands for Fat, Flatulent and Fund-less. It is however the classic human response to stress, flight, fight or freeze as described by Dr Steve Peters in his excellent book, The Chimp Paradox... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/triple-f/ Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/triple-f/ Alan Smith Practice pays off. Rory McIlroy’s ride to immortality publicly entered a new phase this week with the official announcement of his sponsorship deal with Nike, reportedly worth over £20 million per year, whose equipment and apparel he will exhibit beside Tiger Woods, Nike’s first golfing icon.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/practice-makes-almost-perfect/ Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/practice-makes-almost-perfect/ Stephen White The most frequent request asked of Scotwork consultants is ‘Teach me how to know I have paid the right price’. It comes from a lifetime of self-doubt; that although the negotiated deal looks like a good one, satisfies the need, resolves the conflict, addresses the issues and falls within the levels of affordability, there is a demon nagging at the back of the brain. ‘Sucker!’ says the demon, ‘you could have done much better than that’... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/the-right-price/ Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2013/the-right-price/ Stephen White Insensitive people have the reputation for being confrontational, in their negotiations as with everything else. They don’t come more insensitive than New York City taxi drivers. In a seasonal spirit of collaboration and goodwill, we offer this blog, which has been doing the rounds for some time now... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/a-guide-for-the-new-year/ Sun, 30 Dec 2012 15:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/a-guide-for-the-new-year/ Robin Copeland They eat a lot of peanuts in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a landing on Mars approaches. It is an old tradition that dates back to 31 July 1964 when Ranger 7, an unmanned space probe was due to approach the planet, take a few pictures on the way down, then crash onto the surface at breakneck speed. Bear in mind that only a year or two previously, President Kennedy had targeted the USA with landing men on the moon, then returning them safely to Earth by the end of that decade. You would have thought, would you not, that crashing onto Mars would have been well within the wit and capability of the good folks at NASA; sadly not. Rangers 1 through 6 had failed miserably in their various attempts to crash on the planet and Ranger 7 was their last shot at glory... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/they-eat-a-lot-of-peanuts-in-nasa/ Thu, 13 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/they-eat-a-lot-of-peanuts-in-nasa/ Alan Smith On July 20th 1969, the late Neil Armstrong was the first man to step onto the surface of the moon. As commander of Apollo 11 his legend was secured by this act of endeavor, courage and ambition. His words as he left the Eagle have been recorded for posterity. ‘That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. These words were beamed to the millions of global viewers making it one of the most watched televised events in history... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/time-friend-or-foe/ Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/time-friend-or-foe/ Yannis Dimarakis The Hellenic government has been struggling over the last 6 months to finalize an austerity package demanded by its 3 creditors (i.e. the IMF, the ECB and the European Commission – know as the “troika”). The package’s aim is to ensure that the deficit will be checked and that public spending will be reduced to sustainable levels. These measures are never popular as they usually entail steep salary and pension cuts, reductions in social benefits, decrease in the quality of health and education etc. None the less, this package, worth 11.5 bn € (a very heavy figure given the scale of the Hellenic economy), was a sine qua non for the release by the creditors of the next installment of funds to the government in Athens. So the pressure was on to wrap this up as soon as possible... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/trading-opinions-vs-arguing/ Thu, 22 Nov 2012 06:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/trading-opinions-vs-arguing/ Robin Copland There is more and more emphasis on the bottom line. Negotiators are getting ever more ruthless in their search for a “better deal” and sometimes the old “win-win” mantra is lost in the stampede. One of the tactics we see most often used by – and sometimes against – clients is the late introduction of a procurement specialist to a negotiation. In many cases, this person is introduced rather shamefacedly by the regular negotiator; the excuse is given that they are just there to cast a paternal eye over proceedings and check that the deal is watertight.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/double-up-sir/ Fri, 28 Sep 2012 14:50:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/double-up-sir/ Stephen White Within the last few days the Obama administration have made it clear that they consider the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian Assad regime on their own civilians to be a red line. What they mean is that if the Syrian government uses chemical weapons, they will have crossed the red line, diplomacy will have come to an end, and military action will follow. Similarly, in neighbouring Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu has chided the US administration for not setting a red line on the subject of the Iranian development of nuclear weapons.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/red-lines/ Sat, 22 Sep 2012 16:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/red-lines/ David Bannister "Put yourself in my shoes!" said trade union official who was role-playing to help some course participants practise their skills. I was reminded of this when, recently on holiday, I was reading a very enjoyable book called "The Bank of Dave". The book tells the story of a Lancastrian entrepreneur and millionaire called David Fishwick who decided that banks had all got rather too big for their boots and so he chose to open a bank of his own to service deposits and loans in his home town of Burnley (if you haven’t read it, it’s really good!)... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/in-my-shoes/ Fri, 14 Sep 2012 17:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/in-my-shoes/ Alan Smith What colour is the sky in your World? It was expected that NASA, and by extension the U.S., would be the envy of the world after they successfully landed the Curiosity Mars Rover on the red planet this month. That envy could arguably be driven by the recognition that only a country of the size and wealth of the US could even contemplate the massive investment required to conduct such an effort... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/out-of-this-world/ Fri, 07 Sep 2012 17:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/out-of-this-world/ Alan Smith Virgin Trains aimed to shake up the railway business when it took over the West Coast mainline. Now, having lost the franchise to FirstGroup, are they tasting sour grapes or being genuine in their belief that FirstGroup are unable to deliver on their pitch? https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/how-much/ Fri, 31 Aug 2012 15:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/how-much/ Alan Smith When my kids were much younger we had a standard gag. I would ask them what time is it when an elephant sits on your fence? The answer was clearly time to get a new fence. Timing is indeed everything. A similar question could be asked right now with the World’s biggest sporting event still receiving plaudits from around the Globe (except of course the French), as perhaps the best ever Olympic games... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/what-time-is-it/ Fri, 24 Aug 2012 14:06:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/what-time-is-it/ Alan Smith Over the last couple of months I have watched probably more sport than at any other occasion in my life. Much of it to be honest was sport I would not normally watch. Not necessarily because I don’t enjoy it, but because it does not get the coverage that makes it accessible. (Note to self, find out more about how to access women’s beach volleyball). https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/going-for-gold/ Fri, 17 Aug 2012 15:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/going-for-gold/ David Bannister Some years ago, I was teaching a management course in the Far East. My words were to be consecutively interpreted to the class so I had to send all my material for translation in advance. One of the exercises I used was a version of the ‘Prisoner’s Dilemma’, a game where the participants’ integrity is challenged and where they can be tempted to try to gain advantage over other participants by saying one thing and then doing something else to ‘win’ the game... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/trust-me-i-am-a-negotiator/ Fri, 10 Aug 2012 15:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/trust-me-i-am-a-negotiator/ Sam Macbeth I’ve enjoyed watching the Olympics this week. I have also found the debate that has raged about the number of empty seats to be interesting as well. Disgruntled members of the public had tried and failed on several occasions to buy tickets – only to see that there have been numerous empty seats in the stadia during the first week of the Games. Several commentators have complained that LOCOG (the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games) have had “seven years to avoid this situation”. https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/threatening-behaviour/ Fri, 03 Aug 2012 14:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/threatening-behaviour/ Alan Smith There is no doubt that much of what we learn is from experience. In fact the university of life, with all of its hard knocks, creates valuable lessons. The key is do we adjust our behaviour on the back of what is thrown at us. This week I have been running a couple of training courses in Bangkok. My first trip to the area, and I heartily recommend it. Great food, wonderful weather (at least the rain here is warm) and the people are friendly and generous hosts. For the westerner in this part of the world another attraction is the markets... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/battle-scars-and-the-negotiator/ Fri, 27 Jul 2012 13:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/battle-scars-and-the-negotiator/ Stephen White There is a sweet story about an elderly man who is woken at 3.00am by his wife, who can hear strange noises outside the house. He opens the bedroom curtains and sees robbers stealing some of his stuff from the shed at the bottom of the garden. He calls the emergency line, explains what he can see, and asks for police assistance immediately. ‘Are they actually in your house?’ asks the operator. ‘No’, he says, ‘I’ve told you. They are in the shed at the bottom of the garden’. ‘We don’t have anyone available at the moment,’ says the operator ‘but we will send someone along within 2 hours’. The man puts the phone down, waits thirty seconds, and calls back to the police.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/don-t-mess-with-old-men/ Fri, 20 Jul 2012 15:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/don-t-mess-with-old-men/ Alan Smith A mother passing by her son's bedroom was astonished to see the bed was ?nicely made, and the room clean and tidy. Looking more closely she saw an envelope ?propped up on the pillow.??It was addressed, 'Mum'. With trepidation, she opened the envelope and read the enclosed note with trembling hands. Dear Mum,? It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing to you. I have had to elope with my new girlfriend because I wanted to avoid a row with you and Dad.?? I am crazy in love with Stacy, and she is so nice, but I knew ?you would not approve of her, because of all her piercings, tattoos, her tight Motorcycle clothes and because she is so much older than I am.... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/lesser-of-2-evils/ Fri, 13 Jul 2012 13:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/lesser-of-2-evils/ Alan Smith I know I am getting on but it used to be that along with the doctor and the local bobby, the bank manager was one of the few people in whom you could put your faith that he would do the right thing. He would sign your passport photos, offer sage words of solid advice about the mortgage and generally be seen to be one of the go-to guys when you really needed it. Not any more... https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/trust-me-im-a-banker/ Fri, 06 Jul 2012 16:00:00 GMT https://www.scotwork.co.nz/negotiation-blog/2012/trust-me-im-a-banker/