Learning & Development Newsletter - February 2007
In this issue we address the thorny issue of how to make learning sustainable which includes a number of tried and tested suggestions that we have used successfully with some of our clients. We've also included a great article from one of our consultants - John Owens - on Negotiation. Don't miss this one because you're bound to pick up tips you can use in lots of business situations.
Warm wishes
Amanda and Jackie
In this month's issue...
How to make sure training is transferable and learning sustainable
A farmer in Nebraska commented after the attack on the World Trade Centre – “Strange that ideas created in a cave in Afghanistan should have such an immense effect on my income”. We live in a world where interdependency and relationships characterise the development of our society. Actions that occur in one place have a systemic ripple affect which many of us under-estimate. At work we’re expected to understand and deal with problems that are dynamic – they keep changing – and that are complex because they have a systemic basis. The pressure is on to understand other functions and view problems holistically. So, how does all this affect learning?
If you want to find out, click here to read the rest of this article.
Negotiating - Getting the best deal
How do feel about negotiating? Does the idea of it fill you with fear or do you enjoy it?
Either way here are a few tips that will be useful to you in both client relationship negotiations and one off trades.
1 Good Preparation
You’ve probably heard this many times before, but good preparation is crucial. The better prepared you are the better equipped you’ll be to keep control of the negotiation when the unexpected is thrown at you.
Preparation is your map, it’s not the route. So, if your route gets blocked, you need to have alternatives in mind
Know what you want and aim for it. Remember the higher you start the higher you finish, the lower you start the lower you finish.
Good preparation helps you control your nerves because when anxiety goes up the brain switches off.
2 During the negotiation
Negotiating is listening. Listen for the free information, the clues that negotiators give away with words and phrases like ‘about’ or ‘in the region of’.
Their initial offer isn’t the best offer even if it sounds attractive to you. They’ll improve it if you push. Never interrupt them when they’re making an offer because you’ll distract them and you may never hear the whole offer.
When proposing something, never explain, qualify, justify or apologise. Tough isn’t nasty, firm isn’t rude. Use words that caress and phrases that progress. Try testing some assumptions. Do this by stating them as a fact. A confident statement sounds like a fact.
If you’re feeling comfortable in the negotiation the chances are you haven’t pushed hard enough. Get uncomfortable – deals done in the comfort zone leave money on the table.
3 Closing the deal
Nothing’s agreed until everything’s agreed. Always keep the whole package in mind. Always trade concessions “If you .. then I…”. Generosity in negotiation isn’t contagious. Just because you make a gesture don’t expect the other side to match it. Record what’s been agreed there and then. Finally the answer to let’s split the difference is “NO”!
If you find these tips useful, or want to know more, click here to view details of our course and recommended books to read.
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