"Therefore a victorious army first wins and then seeks battle: a defeated army first battles and then seeks victory" Sun Tzu Chinese general.
As in a battle a negotiation should be planned and set up so that victory is assured. Too often the "team" arrives an hour before the meeting and meets in a local coffeeshop and then expects to function cohesively in the negotiation to come.
I recall working with a team leader who insisted on meeting the day before any serious negotiation session with the whole team to work out strategy and tactics and how to win. We used flip charts stuck all around the walls to set out our strategy and how we would react to any given turn of events.
On one occasion we had to persuade the other side to come upon with the answer to a particular problem. Otherwise they would not accept it. We succeeded late at night and had to feign reluctance when the opposition suggested a way forward which was what we wanted all along.
This sort of careful preparation can also fail if one person doesn't toe the line. We once agreed a tactical walk out, but one of our colleagues, an engineer, did not realise what was happening and stayed in his seat. We had to almost drag him out of the room.
Cooperation and commitment and planning by the whole team allows the negotiation "battle" to effectively be won before the engagement even starts.
As in a battle a negotiation should be planned and set up so that victory is assured. Too often the "team" arrives an hour before the meeting and meets in a local coffeeshop and then expects to function cohesively in the negotiation to come.
I recall working with a team leader who insisted on meeting the day before any serious negotiation session with the whole team to work out strategy and tactics and how to win. We used flip charts stuck all around the walls to set out our strategy and how we would react to any given turn of events.
On one occasion we had to persuade the other side to come upon with the answer to a particular problem. Otherwise they would not accept it. We succeeded late at night and had to feign reluctance when the opposition suggested a way forward which was what we wanted all along.
This sort of careful preparation can also fail if one person doesn't toe the line. We once agreed a tactical walk out, but one of our colleagues, an engineer, did not realise what was happening and stayed in his seat. We had to almost drag him out of the room.
Cooperation and commitment and planning by the whole team allows the negotiation "battle" to effectively be won before the engagement even starts.
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