I am not a supporter of smoking at all but it does have one advantage. A long time ago in a negotiation I became concerned because every two hours or so the leading figure in my client's team and a couple of his colleagues would excuse themselves and leave the room for ten to fifteen minutes. I worried as their lawyer that they were using the break to set negotiating tactics without me.
So I joined them to discover that yes they were discussing the progress we were making but mainly they were having a cigarette. From then on I joined them in smokers huts and car parks and, whilst I may have shortened my life by passive smoking, we used the opportunity well to have a time out and set our strategy.
From a health perspective I recently read that even a short two minute walk away from a desk or meeting room every two hours increases your life expectancy. So why not have the break without the smoking? And it's a great negotiating strategy.
So I joined them to discover that yes they were discussing the progress we were making but mainly they were having a cigarette. From then on I joined them in smokers huts and car parks and, whilst I may have shortened my life by passive smoking, we used the opportunity well to have a time out and set our strategy.
From a health perspective I recently read that even a short two minute walk away from a desk or meeting room every two hours increases your life expectancy. So why not have the break without the smoking? And it's a great negotiating strategy.
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