Steve Young (2007) – Negotiation

• Negotiation is the great skill, used everyday– Classic negotiations for contracts– Subtle negotiation among teammates

• Some negotiation tactics– Endurance/stamina, wear people down– Overpreparation, data-driven, facts and logic

• Moral high-ground of logic, cover all loopholes

• Motivation– Find out what people need to get energized

• Human nature– We tend to do the most we can with least effort– How to get people inspired? Wear out with self-sacrifice

Excuses

• It is natural to try and explain what goes wrong• It is human to want to try and explain

– However, people don’t respond to this– Never show sign of victimization– Don’t give excuses– People want accountability

• People want to hear “Look, I messed it up”– But also, “I’m going to go fix it”

• Must take ultimate accountability for actions– Otherwise will ultimately lose

Soft Skills

• In quarterbacking, soft skills are the hard skills– Soft skills based on love, respect, getting to know people– No way a great quarterback can do anything without a

great team

• Use soft skills to individually motivate your people– Individually, some are demand resistant– Some need to have it be their ideas

• Soft skill based on stepping in other persons’ shoes– Knowing what they need at that time– Only way can do that is getting to know them individually– Can use that familiarity to motivate and anticipate

Understanding Weakness

• Self-analysis, need to know strengths/weaknesses– What am I good at? – Where are my holes? – What gets me into trouble?– Some things can work on, others are insoluble– People can control you through your weaknesses

• Study own strengths and weaknesses– Make changes, identify and hide the tell

• Then study opponents weaknesses– However, always allow people a safe place to land– Otherwise will be in the fight of your life

How to Deal with Others

• Understand people around you– Get to yes by working with their strengths– If you play the coaches’ game, add to it, will get to play

• Don’t engage if there is no win– Keep to happy

• Look at where others’ are coming from– What is their situation?– What do they need?– What can you give them? – How can you help?

• Appropriate attitude– We are in this together, let’s figure out ways to work

together to make our time together more productive

Perspective

• “Look I screwed it up, but I’m going to go fix it”• Most of life is managing relationships

– Think “What is their experience?”– What is my hole? What to change?

• “You’re not that big a deal”– Hubris is a very damaging, damning thing– Don’t let negotiation and winning lose yourself

• Keep to gratitude – Recognize the contributions of others

• Don’t get caught in up in the goal – Sometimes trying to accomplish over the heads of others

Goals, Perception

• In the things that we are good there is a negative side, that needs to be chopped off– Get rid of the things bad at– Get better at things mediocre at– Keep improving the things good at

• The main goal is to see how good it can get– To succeed, be the dumbest guy in the room

• Perception is 9/10ths of the law– How am I perceived? Use it to your advantage

Getting to Yes

• Everyone has unique, individual needs– Get to comfort level so people will tell you what they are– Put air in the process

• There are some people who just won’t like you• Differentiators

– Relationships, which take time to build up

• Can be a good ploy– Just to do nothing

• Make a judgement– Am I a people skill person?– If not, then learn by observation these negotiation skills

Summary

• Everyday skill, both classic and subtle• Negotiation tactics, endurance and preparation• Human nature• Soft skills in how to handle and motivate• Other people’s shoes• Strength and weakness analysis• Don’t engage if no win• Be accountable• Perspective• Perception• Unique, individual needs

Reorganized

• Negotiation everywhere– Classic – Subtle, everyday

• Tactics– Take accountability– Endurance– Preparation– Know unique needs of

others– Know strengths and

weaknesses of others– Don’t engage if no win– Understand perceptions

• Strengths / weaknesses– Goal is how good can you be– Do an analysis of self– Know weaknesses– Adapt, improve– Strengths can blind– Keep perspective

• Need to be in others’ shoes– Understand and know others– What motivates them– What are their unique needs– What are their strengths and

weaknesses