I have just spent two weeks as the skipper on a 45-foot sailing yacht cruising around the Croatian Adriatic Sea visiting a number of ports. Arriving and departing is a complex manoeuvre in 11 tons of boat. It means backing into the allocated berth collecting a fixed line from the stern, taking it quickly to the bow (the front end of the boat) and securing it whilst tying two lines from the back. All this as the wind tries to move the boat sideways. Departure means letting go the correct lines at the right time and avoiding boats moored on either side as you leave slowly.
Whilst this can be complex especially if a strong wind is blowing it is actually relatively easy if, but only if you have prepared carefully and thoroughly and having given detailed instructions to your crew as to what they have to do and when to pick up or let go a mooring line. Otherwise chaos can ensue and the boat crashes into other moored boats or the concrete quayside. Sometimes this is just embarrassing but it can end up with the boat or other boats being damaged or people injured as they try to fend off.
It makes me think that the same is true for a commercial transaction or other professional process. First you have to know where you are going and what to expect when you arrive. Then you need a team or crew on board who are able and capable of taking on the tasks allocated to them. Just as on the yacht we needed somebody strong and agile to take a line to the front and then pull in a heavy mooring line and know how to make it fast. So, in a negotiation about a technical IT issue such as system development someone with knowledge of those issues should be present. They also need some overall knowledge of the negotiations and to be a part of the team and its preparation work, so they don’t concede some critical commercial issue unintentionally.
Here is an article from the Executive Secretary Magazine (one of the most pressurised professional jobs) The Importance of Preparation which suggests that adequate preparation can prove to be one of the most valuable skills that you can master in avoiding the build-up of stress and anxiety as deadline dates approach.
I also like this Harvard Law School article which has a useful negotiation preparation list running to 32 points to prepare for.
Here are some good quotes I found on the benefits of preparation.
“Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” - Bobby Unser the American car racer.
“If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six hours sharpening my axe” - Abraham Lincoln.
“He who is best prepared can best serve his moment of inspiration.” - Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Before anything else, preparation is the key to success – Alexander Graham Bell.
I’d certainly recommend adequate preparation time at work or at play.
Whilst this can be complex especially if a strong wind is blowing it is actually relatively easy if, but only if you have prepared carefully and thoroughly and having given detailed instructions to your crew as to what they have to do and when to pick up or let go a mooring line. Otherwise chaos can ensue and the boat crashes into other moored boats or the concrete quayside. Sometimes this is just embarrassing but it can end up with the boat or other boats being damaged or people injured as they try to fend off.
It makes me think that the same is true for a commercial transaction or other professional process. First you have to know where you are going and what to expect when you arrive. Then you need a team or crew on board who are able and capable of taking on the tasks allocated to them. Just as on the yacht we needed somebody strong and agile to take a line to the front and then pull in a heavy mooring line and know how to make it fast. So, in a negotiation about a technical IT issue such as system development someone with knowledge of those issues should be present. They also need some overall knowledge of the negotiations and to be a part of the team and its preparation work, so they don’t concede some critical commercial issue unintentionally.
Here is an article from the Executive Secretary Magazine (one of the most pressurised professional jobs) The Importance of Preparation which suggests that adequate preparation can prove to be one of the most valuable skills that you can master in avoiding the build-up of stress and anxiety as deadline dates approach.
I also like this Harvard Law School article which has a useful negotiation preparation list running to 32 points to prepare for.
Here are some good quotes I found on the benefits of preparation.
“Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” - Bobby Unser the American car racer.
“If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six hours sharpening my axe” - Abraham Lincoln.
“He who is best prepared can best serve his moment of inspiration.” - Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Before anything else, preparation is the key to success – Alexander Graham Bell.
I’d certainly recommend adequate preparation time at work or at play.
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