To move an idea
along, you sometimes
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need to negotiate
with co-workers.
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To illustrate some basic
negotiation principles,
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let's look at a story
from World War II.
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It's about the famous
Manhattan Project,
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which led to the development
of the first atomic bomb.
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The job of coordinating
the efforts of the world's
0:19
most brilliant and quirky
geniuses on this effort
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fell to a man named
Robert Oppenheimer, one
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of the top physicists
in the 1930s and '40s.
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As a colleague later
observed, leading the project
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transformed Oppenheimer.
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He was a hesitant,
diffident academic,
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but he became a
decisive executive.
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Oppenheimer's success
depended on being
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able to discover and address
various individual needs
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and interests of the
scientists working with him,
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and then use his negotiation
and management skills to keep
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the project moving forward.
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One situation he faced
involved Edward Teller,
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the man who later invented
the hydrogen bomb.
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Teller grew frustrated
because Oppenheimer insisted
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he concentrate on fission
development, which
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Teller considered to routine.
1:14
In a display of
diva-like anger, Teller
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withdrew from the
fission development team
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and threatened to leave the
Manhattan Project entirely
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unless his demands for more
interesting work were met.
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Oppenheimer's job was to sell
Teller on the idea of staying.
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Oppenheimer called
Teller into his office
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and let him then his frustration
about the work assignment.
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Then he started
asking questions,
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quickly uncovering two
things Teller wanted.
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First, Teller was eager to
spend time investigating
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the possibility of a hydrogen
device, a much longer range
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prospect than the
atomic bomb but one that
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had a great deal more
theoretical interest in terms
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of physics.
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Second, Teller wanted
more face time directly
2:03
with Oppenheimer,
an interaction he
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missed because of the
Manhattan Project's
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bureaucratic structure.
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Oppenheimer then offered a deal.
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First, he agreed to let Teller
dabble in his hydrogen project,
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but only during limited times.
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Second, he agreed
to schedule Teller
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for a weekly one-hour
brainstorming session,
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a concession Oppenheimer
positioned as a major sacrifice
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because his hectic schedule as
director of the overall project
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didn't leave him much free time.
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In return, Teller
had to agree to stay
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on the all important
fission development project
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and follow orders.
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Teller agreed.
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The beauty of this arrangement
from Oppenheimer's point
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of view was its low cost
to the overall effort.
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True, he had to compromise a
bit on the hydrogen research
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project, but he
welcomed the excuse
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to schedule some
dedicated time to theorize
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with his brilliant colleague.
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He would get just as much
stimulation from the meetings
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as Teller would.
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By uncovering Teller's
interests instead of
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going to war with him
over who was in charge,
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Oppenheimer kept both Teller and
the Manhattan Project on task.
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What can we learn
from this story?
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First, negotiations follow
almost ritualized steps–
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preparing, probing,
proposing, and closing.
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Think of these as the four
phases of negotiation.
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Second, because of the presence
of conflicting interests,
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certain psychological
factors related
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to attitudes about conflict
play predictable roles
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in the way negotiations unfold.
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Negotiation also
involves paying attention
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to six key elements,
what Richard Shell calls
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the six foundations of
effective negotiation.
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First, styles.
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Research has shown that
people have distinct styles
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for handling negotiations–
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competing, looking for ways
to win the negotiation game,
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collaborating, seeking and
exploring mutual interests,
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compromising, splitting
the difference
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between respective
positions, accommodating,
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conceding to the
other party's demands,
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or avoiding, trying to dodge or
defer the conflict of interest
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altogether.
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Goals– goal setting
in negotiation
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is aimed squarely at
the issues in conflict.
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Each side is likely to have
walk away positions or bottom
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lines on the toughest issues–
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a level, that is,
that would prompt
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them to terminate
the negotiation
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rather than say yes–
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and an aspiration level.
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That's what they
optimistically hope to achieve.
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Then there are standards.
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Authoritative
standards and norms,
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such as industry guidelines
and market trends,
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usually form the background
for negotiations.
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Your preparation in this
respect should therefore
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include a survey of the
standard space points you want
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to make with your co-workers.
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Relationships– the
psychology of similarity
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and liking help
you build rapport
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at the beginning
of a negotiation,
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and the norm of
reciprocity helps
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set the rhythm of both
exchanging information
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and making concessions as
a negotiation proceeds.
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Interests–
successful persuasion
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often depends on showing
how your ideas further
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your co-worker's interests.
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When you find them
pushing back hard,
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that's often a sign
that you have touched
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on a conflicting interest.
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Three questions
regarding interests
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are especially important.
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One, why might it already be
in my co-worker's interests
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to support my idea?
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What does my co-worker
want that I can give them?
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And three, why
might they say no?
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These are all
important questions
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in preparing to negotiate.
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The more shared
interests you find,
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the easier it is to resolve
the conflicting ones.
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Leverage– when it comes to
negotiation, the final decision
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as to who will compromise
often comes down
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to a question of
something called leverage.
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That's the balance of hopes
and fears at the table.
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Whoever thinks
they have the least
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to lose from saying no
deal generally has the most
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leverage, and whoever thinks
they have the most to lose
6:48
has the least leverage.
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Let's go back to Oppenheimer.
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He used negotiation
to motivate one
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of the most talented physicists
of his generation, Edward
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Teller.
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In thinking about
these foundations,
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ask yourself if they can
make your next conversation
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just a little more productive.
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Like Oppenheimer, you
can use negotiation
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to motivate the Tellers,
people you work with every day.
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Rely on the six
foundations to help you
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prepare for important
negotiations at work.
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After each one, reflect
on what you did well
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and what you could
have done better.
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Make needed adjustments
for the next conversation.
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If you get into the habit
of reflecting in this way,
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over time, no matter
how experienced you are,
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you will enhance your
ability to get things done.
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