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“How To Combat The Problem Of Blind Loyalty” – Negotiation Insight

“People demanding 100% loyalty want to blind you. Never be blinded by someone else’s light, less you taunt darkness.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click here to Tweet)

 

 

Click here to get the book!

“How To Combat The Problem Of Blind Loyalty”

Are you loyal? More importantly, will you be loyal to only me? Those questions were asked of someone with power by a person with more power. The response was, I’m devoted to the oath I took when I became a member of this organization. The implication was, I won’t be loyal to an individual – I’ll be dutiful to the institution. The person making that statement was fired shortly after that. The person asking the questions was the one that initiated the firing. And he would later demand that others be loyal to him too. He’d created a problem – one of perception. Later, it would ensnare several individuals under his charge. And his demand for loyalty would eventually be exposed as his means to deal in more nefarious behavior. Houston, we have a problem!

Loyalty is good in most cases. But, when those in power demand blind loyalty, people with power can stray from a righteous path. And problems can exist in any environment when there’s too much blind obedience. When that occurs, as someone in a position of authority or one challenged by those insisting that you have blind obedience to them, you must be prepared to combat unchecked loyalty. To allow it to roam free could be akin to walking blindly down a dangerous path that leads to misfortune. Don’t fall prey to the allure of blind loyalty. Here’s how to combat it.

 

Blind Loyalties:

Challenges

Unbridled allegiances can lead to unchecked power. And unlimited power can lead to unrealized potential. Because those with leadership abilities will never have the opportunity to rise to their full potential, less they pose threats to the leader. So, they become checked out of fear of the leader’s retribution. And that permeates the myth that adherence is better for those that submit to it.

 

Reckless Endowment

Power is an aphrodisiac. Another concern that institutions should have is what becomes of a leader’s power when he has too much of it. Best case scenario, he uses that power for the improvement of those that he represents – in most cases, that’s not been what history has proven. Instead, a leader with too much power has feathered his nest and those that remain most loyal to him. And that creates an infectious environment amongst those that continuously strive to be the leader’s favorite. That occurs, while the inner backstabbing slowly erodes and robs the life’s blood of the future from the institution. Be mindful of those with too much power and how they use it. It can be the source of good times or those that lead to destruction. The weight is the balance of when either occurs and the length of time it lasts.

 

Stifles Imagination

Concentrated power can stifle creativity. When a select few hold power, those with that power seek less input from outside sources. They know what the best thoughts are – because they believe their opinions are best for the masses. And when it comes to planning, they only consider their plans. Thus, they don’t seek out or welcome additional information from anyone outside of their circle. They don’t want any info competing against theirs that’s out of alignment with their strategy. There’s a high cost to pay for a lack of diverse input. And usually, those lower in the ranks of an organization are the ones to bear the burden of that cost.

 

Confronting Requesters of Blind Loyalty

Everything is a negotiation. And if you neglect that thought, you forego powers that you might otherwise realize. If you’re to maintain blind loyalty to anyone, it should be to yourself. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t be loyal to a cause, a purpose, an institution, or even a person. It’s to say, before committing to someone’s behest for loyalty, understand what it means. Understand where your commitment might lead you and what it’ll mean for your future. If you follow anyone’s mandates without questioning, you could end up at a dead-end street with nowhere to go except backward. That means you and those that you should have been supporting will have lost valuable time and your sense of purpose. And wasted time is time never regained. Always think before you commit to anything or anyone’s request.

 

Reflection

The general that wisely chooses the field of battle wins before the fighting starts. Thus, always be aware of the mindset of those that demand complete loyalty. In so doing, they seek to consume concentrated power within a small container – themselves. And when it comes to absolute power, absolute power rules without leaving a void for dissension. Without discord, no organization can sustain itself. While chaos can reign inside of dissent, the delicate balance lies in getting benefits from disputes versus suppressing the growth that could otherwise blossom. Thus, curtail the chaos. It will lead to confusion, which will lead to disruption. And yes, the powers to be may check disorder for a while, but eventually, it will happen. It has done so throughout history’s rule in corporations, communities, and countries. And when it does so, it has been the beginning that’s lead to the unraveling of the entities that were once powerful.

Never trust blindly those that seek 100% loyalty. If you do, it could be to your jeopardy. Even when asked to do so, you may close one eye but don’t close both. Keep an eye open so you can see the light that might allow the perception of a more realistic reality … and everything will be right with the world.

 

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

 

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Using Value Networks to Grow Your Business

 

The craft of sales is one of increasing the overlap between what outcomes a customer desires for themselves, and what outcomes the seller’s offer can deliver.

Increasing that overlap requires the seller to:

  1. Conduct insightful discovery into the customer’s business and personal situation to increase the range of desired outcomes.
  2. Identifying an exhaustive list of seller’s capabilities, then translating those into customer business outcomes.
  3. Articulate unmet value gaps to product/service innovators, who develop high-impact differentiation.

Most commercially available sales training addresses the first item. Almost all leave the second item up to an internal product training function. By “leaving it to the product trainer”, I mean ignore completely. No good framework to fill this gap has been introduced.

Introducing the Value Network.

The Value Network is a great tool.  It:

  • Captures deal-winning gold from top sellers for use by the whole team
  • Helps everyone in B2B sales teams sell more widely and deeply
  • Ramps new sellers up more rapidly
  • Guides more impactful executive conversations
  • Shapes more impactful marketing
  • Informs superior new product idea generation
  • Helps non-sales, but still customer-facing roles uncover new value.
  • Serves as a central point of truth for competitive positioning.
  • It is easy to learn and intuitive to use.

…so why don’t you know what a Value Network is?

A value network diagrams all of the possible customer outcomes your differentiation can drive for a customer. The diagram at the top of this article is a partial value network: it illustrates the client outcomes from adopting the kind of value-focused culture I propose in my upcoming book, Radical Value.

Building A Value Network

Start by describing an area of differentiation. In the example above, I promote building a company culture focused on value to the customer (yes this is different from many organizations, surprisingly.  Companies focus their cultures on lots of other things when value is what they should use as the hub around which everything else rotates).

From that differentiation (drawn above in a rectangle), describe all of the customer outcomes that result…and the outcomes those outcomes deliver, and so on. Draw those customer outcomes in ovals with arrows representing cause/effect (you’ll notice a few bidirectional arrows on this diagram, which shows mutual reinforcement loops) The resulting network represents all of the potential value your differentiation could deliver to a customer.

In the current vernacular, these might be called themes for value messages.  That is, they could be likely hypotheses that one could deliver to a prospect (or use as a justification for a meeting) – but then validate through dialogue.

For this article, I’ve outlined in blue where the use of a value network fits in a value-focused culture.  It enables or drives more insightful business discussions: by not just salespeople, but every person who comes in contact with your customer.  It clarifies innovation in business cases. It

Next Step:  Make Each Outcome Personal.

To keep the diagram above clean, I didn’t perform this step, but here’s what to do next.  Next to each oval, list the customer personas most likely to desire that outcome.  Here’s an example in closeup from a different value network:

Notice that Facilities is likely to find value in both of these outcomes, but affected department managers are only likely to care about one of the two.  This targeting analysis guides meeting plans, sales conversations, account-based marketing content, product innovation, and more. It also helps guide executive selling efforts by identifying executive-worthy conversations.

Making the Complex Simple

Building customer-perceived value is the selling behavior that most affects customer buying decisions.  Value is defined as the desirability of customer outcomes and is built off of differentiation. A Value Network is a tool that articulates all of the possible business outcomes your offer could produce for a customer.

Depending on what it is your company sells (product, service or solution), being able to efficiently identify all customer impacts is where the great sales conversation training (the one you’ve probably already invested in) begins. In my work with hundreds of B2B companies, I can confidently tell you that there is room for improvement in refining your “product” (which includes service) training. Value Networks can help everyone involved craft a simple set of training, content, and other materials guaranteed to improve the quality of your customer conversations, supporting higher win rates at more mutually-beneficial prices.

Here’s An Exercise For You to Apply This Article

The diagram at the top of this article was purposely left incomplete. Extend it using the bullet point statements under the section titled “Introducing the Value Network” plus any others you can think of. Now, study the bigger Value Network and consider what each of these outcomes means to you in your role: both professionally and personally. What would developing a company-wide focus on customer value do for you and your organization?

Comment below, or contact me if you’d like to learn more about this simple, powerful tool.  Or get on the waiting list for my upcoming book, where I’ll go into even more detail on how-to and use of Value Networks.

To Your Success!

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Best Practices Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Negotiations Sales Women In Business

“Negotiation Crisis Intervention Behind The Scenes Trust Fear Factor” – Negotiation Tip of the Week

 

“A crisis is easily averted when you negotiate in a way that prevents it.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 

Click here to get the book

 

 

“Negotiation Crisis Intervention Behind The Scenes Trust Fear Factor”

 

The opening scenes in his mind were calm and serene. The next thing he knew, silent alarms were summoning his attention. Instantly, he experienced fear. He instinctively knew that would be a factor in what was to come. And he wasn’t sure if that stemmed from his perception of a crisis in the making or the intervention that would be required to squelch it. Regardless, he knew trust would play a factor in the outcome – a negotiated outcome that he’d engage in whose result he could not gauge.

When you’re involved in any activity, you’re negotiating. That’s especially important to remember when you’re confronting crises or events that might be leading towards one. You should adhere to the following factors to enhance your chances of addressing challenging situations successfully.

 

Influence Factors:

 

Fight for power

Crises usually occur when there’s an unequal balance of power. Thus, struggles arise between forces to bring power back to the point of equilibrium. Then, harmony resides. But it only does so for the time it takes one side to become dissatisfied with the power-sharing arrangement. And that leads to another round of fractions between those that share the balance of power. Therefore, always be mindful of where your involvement finds you in the struggle for power. Therein will lie your opportunity to avert or incite a crisis. The action you take depends on what side of the equation you’re on – seeking more power or not willing to relinquish it.

Trust

Question: To what degree does trust become a factor in the influencing process during a crisis intervention? Answer: An entity seeking to create an agreeable and bonding resolution must first establish that foundation on trust – stated more succinctly, it’s everything. And, if trust teeters on uncertainty or there’s mistrust, the pillar to maintain a good relationship between opposing parties will stay in jeopardy. And that will hamper the cohesiveness of long-term agreements. Suffice it to say, trust when possible, but be keenly aware when you’ve extended it past its expiration. Sometimes, influencing a situation means pushing back on those that are not trustworthy.

Fear

Fear can be a powerful tool in a pre-crisis environment and during crisis intervention. It can be used as leverage to manipulate an opponent’s action to move in a more positive direction. It can also be used to entice your members to stay aligned with your cause (e.g., if they win, all of you will be worse off). You should also be cautious as to how you wield the tool of fear. Do that by having a calculated expectation of the outcome it might produce on your target. If the target responds in unexpected manners, and you didn’t consider them, you run the risk of losing control of the situation. And that could leave you impotent to address other aspects of the engagement. Therefore, when considering the implication and implementation that fear’s usage will have on a situation, the word to exercise is caution.

 

Scenes

When considering the role influence will have when you’re negotiating in a crisis or intervention, think of the situation in stages. Break the interactions you’ll have with the opposing party into segments. Assess how you’ll act and react in a particular phase. And assess how the opposite side might respond to your positioning – determine what mannerisms they might adopt and how you might react to that, too. Your goal is to break the pieces of the engagement into manageable segments. That effort is geared to give you the most significant opportunity to move the talks in the direction that’s most favorable for the parties involved.

 

Bonding Questions

As most astute people are aware, trust and fear play a vital role in the bonding process. Thus, both of those factors are potent forces. To add to your powers, ponder how you’ll bond with other parties by considering the following questions.

  1. Should you bond with the other party?
  2. What ramifications might come about as the result of your bonding with some members that oppose you versus others in the opposition’s fold?
  3. Can the bonding process with certain sects further your goals faster than with others?
  4. When is the best time to engage in the bonding process?
  5. How will you measure the effectiveness of your relationships?
  6. Should someone of stature precede you to set the stage to enhance your bonding efforts?
  7. At what point might you break a bond to make a point?

Those questions, along with others you think of, are crucial queries to ask yourself. The answers will allow you to develop a cohesive strategy that can be used to further your activities, engagements, and goals.

 

Negotiation Strategies

Depending on the severity of the crisis you’re dealing with and the stage that it’s in, you might want to adopt the following negotiation strategies to improve your plight.

 

Block and Bridge

This is a tactic that allows you to promote your message and position while diluting the other party’s efforts to enhance his own. It’s accomplished by acknowledging the other party’s perspective but not allowing it to be fully heard or seen. Thus, if someone were to say, “we’ve been making these demands for the …”. You might cut them off after they said, ‘the,’ and say, “We understand time has passed. There have been mitigating circumstances that have prevented us from adopting a policy/plan, etc.”

By engaging in this manner, you will have stopped his efforts to project his position in the public domain. Instead, you would have promoted your point as the dominant thought that others should lend their attention. Block and bridge is an excellent way to steal the spotlight and allow it to shine brighter upon your plans for improvement.

 

Pincer Move

A pincer move, in a negotiation, is used to convey the message that you have the opposition surrounded by those possessing differing opinions than his. The implication being, succumb to the superior force – me/us that confronts you.

Marshall as many opinions and allies as you can that are aligned with your message, to refute those of the other side to implement the strategy. And be sure that none in your camp are shills posing as your supporters when, in reality, they’re inside your encampment as spies for the other side. You want the opposing party to feel isolated and devoid of hope in the quest for their plans. That will serve several purposes. One, it will sow doubt about how much longer they should continue down their current path. Two, it will create fractures within their ranks. And three, it will dilute their strength, which will make them a less potent foe.

Feigning

Many years ago, Muhammad Ali fought George Foreman. Foreman was known for his power, not his stamina. Ali realized that he could not go toe-to-toe with Foreman less he heightened the chance of being knocked out. So, Ali adopted the rope-a-dope, a strategy meant to allow Foreman to wear himself out by pounding away at Ali. Ali’s ploy was to draw Foreman into thinking Ali was ‘out of gas.’ And the deception worked for Ali, who went on to win the fight. Later, someone stated that underestimating Ali was the mistake of a lifetime.

In any negotiation, sometimes, your efforts can be enhanced if the opposition is unsure of your strategy – it’s even better if they think you have no plan. Thus, when dealing with a crisis, release information strategically about your position. To the degree you can, don’t place it in mediums that you can’t control. And when other sources attempt to reposition you, be quick to thwart their efforts. Adopt the persona that’s best per how you wish others to perceive you, your team, your efforts. And, like Ali, you can pretend acceptance of one position while holding in reserve the one you wish to implement.

Reflection

There are many factors that you should consider before, during, and after a crisis. The way you handle each phase will determine what occurs next. Thus, you must be aware of where your rhetoric and actions will take you per the procedures and posture you adopt in one stage and the impact it’ll have upon the next. By implementing the insights mentioned, you increase your odds of addressing crises better. That will place you in a more harmonious and prosperous environment. And everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here https://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

 

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“What Harm Is Deception If It Protects Truth“ – Negotiation Tip of the Week

“Don’t argue with those that traffic in deception – they have alternative truths. When you must, only deal with them to avoid harm.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 

“What Harm Is Deception If It Protects Truth“

 

There’s an adage that states, liars’ figure, but figures don’t lie. In a puritan environment, that may be true. But that’s not where we reside. The environment we live in is one where liars figure to make their deception align with the truth. In so doing, some see themselves as protecting facts as they would want others to perceive them. By any other name, the potential harm they cause is called deception. From their perspective, the question, what harm is deception if it protects the truth, is answered based on what they’re protecting and whose version of reality one wishes to promote.

When dealing with people that practice deception, be wary of their intent. The truth will be what they’re attempting to conceal. Once you’re aware of what they’re trying to hide, only then can you deal with hidden problems. To do so otherwise could be trading in false transactions. Consider the following to assess and determine what path to adopt when dealing with those that traffic in deception.

 

Credo:

What’s the credo of those involved?

Whether it’s the military’s, leave no man (person) behind, or police officers’ blue wall of silence, the credos of those institutions influence the mindset of its members. And it suggests how they should respond or act in certain situations. Therein lies the hidden ground for the sly shiftiness in which deception can be rooted. Therein also lies the mindset that can promote deceit. Thus, the credo of an entity should be your starting point to uncovering the truth about the primary values held by those institutions. By following that thought, you’ll increase your understanding of what motivates someone’s actions.

 

Power Alignments:

  • What are the power alignments? In every organization, power alignments exist. You should explore those alignments. That’ll give you insights about how you might address those powers, and shed light on what you may well have to overcome to avert or defeat them.

In some cases, when a crisis is in progress, depending on the strength of the alliance, the cohesiveness of the coalition can be deflated by verbally confronting the group’s leader. At other times, it may be more prudent to pick off lower-ranking members of the alliance to isolate the leader. In either case, take note of a power’s make-up to determine how to compete against it.

 

  • What sources of power are behind deceit? That is a pertinent question to pose because it addresses the undercurrent of why deception may exist. Consider also asking yourself what you’re not seeing or what’s not being voiced by your adversaries.

Observing what’s shown and said can be less valuable than what’s not shown or mentioned. While there may be factions within a power base, there may also be ideological fractures or other lines that bond it’s members to one another. If you’re aware of those factions and the dividing points that separate them within their alignment, you’ll have other aspects from which to chip away at their power sources.

 

Juking Stats:

  • Who is protecting whom, and why? You may be familiar with the phrase “alternative facts.” It’s a paradigm stating that things may not be as they appear, or one that suggests you should observe a situation from another point of view. In either case, some in power will juke stats to reflect a perspective that’s more favorable to their viewpoint. In most cases, that’s done to endure one’s self to others and enhance that person’s following, which extends his influence.

Be concerned when you partake of someone juking stats. They’re attempting to alter reality. In so doing, they’re trying to change your perspective from what you perceive reality to be to what they would have you believe. Therefore, when confronted by such situations, ask yourself, are you going to trust your truthful eyes or their lying mouth. The answer to that question will lead to enlightenment or one that could lead you deeper into a demon’s pit – which later exposes the beast of despair that lies there. Choose your decision wisely.

 

  • What will members of a group do to protect one another? As mentioned in the section that discussed credos, some members of an organization will go to extremes to protect the leader of the group or to those that they pledge their loyalty. The degree to which that’s applied can also indicate the strength of the leader and what he demands of his followers.

Times have occurred throughout history when followers committed unsavory acts to appease a leader. Thus, based on the promises of the leader, some have willingly given their life for the better aftermath that they were told awaited them. When observing a crisis in the making, seek the lessons of history and understand the psychology behind alliances. That will be the key to unlocking a member’s will, which will give you a better perspective about why some will do anything and perform any act to stay in good favor with those that lead them.

Always assess the passion and commitment that members of any organization have for their superiors. Because it can become the illumination that shown brightness upon an otherwise hidden entanglement in which deceit may lie. And therein will lie why some will juke stats to keep their followers aligned with them to perpetuate their leadership.

 

Reflections:

Most of the time, people deceive others for protection. And that protection is usually based on the embellishment or furtherance of one’s self-aggrandizement. Therefore, the more insight you have about those that oppose you and their sources of motivation, the better you’ll be at confronting and averting crises. That also means that you’ll become better positioned to curtail crises in their early stages. That will give you greater control within your ranks and in those that oppose you … and everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here https://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

 

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“You Are Not Worthy Of Being Here Promotes Defiance” – Negotiation Insight

“Your imagination promotes future value. When considering value, consider the values of others.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click here to Tweet)

Click here to get the book!

“You Are Not Worthy Of Being Here Promotes Defiance”

 

You tell me I don’t belong here. When your first forefathers arrived, others told them they didn’t belong. Those in authority dismissed them as being “less than.” And that invoked their defiance. Thus, they fought for the right to be recognized as being worthy of belonging and being accepted. So why do you state through your words and deeds that I don’t belong here? Like your forefathers, I and those like me will fight you for what we see as our right to be accepted – our rights to share and partake of the bounty in this land we call home.

If you suppress me, that will only provoke defiance in me. And one day, I’ll rise against you. If you choke the life out of me, I will die. But eventually, those like me, that like me, will fight you. They will exact my vengeance against you and those like you.

Eventually, you and others will hear my voice – even if you attempt to silence me. Because everything changes and the turnarounds that brought you into power will someday sweep that power away from you. So, the question you might ask yourself is, how do you wish to be treated when you’re the one hearing, you don’t belong here.

Those were words offered as a response by someone that was subjugated by the powers to be. Continue reading to discover how you can avert the travails of suppression and avert traveling on a road that could lead to despair.

 

Whether it’s a phrase like “you people,” “you don’t belong in this neighborhood,” or “go back where you came from,” such phrases can serve as triggers that incite resistance. And those that use such verbiage should be mindful of the powderkeg they may ignite. Because such verbiage can rile others to resist the powers to be, and lead to a revolt. And revolutions bring about a form of change that those in power find it difficult to control and accept.

 

Mindset:

  • Authority’s view – We have the power. Others must obey us. That’s the mindset that some with supremacy possess and display when addressing those that they view as not being at their level or beneath them. It’s a mindset that seeks confrontation because when challenged, it must be defended to sustain itself. And it’s vulnerable because the slightest perceived provocation can set it into a defensive posture. That defensive posture may cause others to become defensive. Then, the mindset of everyone becomes encased in a state of protectiveness, which reduces the possibility of averting a crisis or improving a situation.

 

  • Minority’s view – People that have been badly treated in the past by those in authority are sometimes overly sensitive. And their perspective becomes self-affirming when they focus on the wrongful deeds thrust on those of their kind in the past. Thus, a particular phrase, a perceived provocative look, or someone thought to have authority walking too close to them while they shop “can set them off.” Why? Because triggers occur within them. Triggers that bring to mind past infractions that evoke the feeling of being perceived as less than worthy of being or doing what they’re undertaking currently. And the result is, they feel the need to confront the perpetrator – they feel the need to defend themselves for not only the current aggression but for those that have occurred in the past. They’re pushing back on the accumulation of past grievances to amend perceived wrong that has lasted too long. If you’re someone that cuddles such thoughts, be aware of them. That impacts the way you see and interact with others. Also, be mindful that everyone that appears to be an authority figure is not out to torment you.

 

Fear vs. Openmind:

In most cases, when people oppose one another, apprehension exists. Instead of fighting those that you see as not being like you, embrace them, their views, and their opinions. Do so by exploring the question, what are you afraid of, and why do you fear it? Even if you eventually dismiss someone’s premise, doing so will strengthen, not weaken you. Being openminded may create a paradigm shift that sheds a different perspective on how to interact with those you view as foes. You will have expanded your thought process, which only leads to better decision making.

 

Reflection:

Consider all the people that loved us into being here. Those were the generations that preceded us. Their views and thoughts still influence the way we think – even though they may have departed us decades or centuries ago.

When you ignore the thoughts, perspectives, and opinions of others, you may forgo a more significant value that such might have added to the benefit of society. As long as people look at others as being ‘less than,’ everyone’s environment and opportunities will be less than they could have been. To prevent that, be more open to accepting those that don’t share your views. Be more willing to embrace the opinions of those that have ideas that differ from yours. And keep an open mind about being openminded. In so doing, you’ll see a broader spectrum of the positive things that could be versus that which might threaten you. If you let that open-mindedness serve as your catalyst to a better tomorrow, better tomorrow’s will await you … and everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

 

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So Much Data, So Little Time. Until Now.

In a way, the exponential growth of machine-to-machine communications with connected sensors, or what is called the Internet of Things (IoT), has become an example of too much of a good thing.

IoT facilitating communication among connected machines, devices, and sensors, creates data at levels never seen before, in volumes that are growing at such a rate that organizations and government agencies will have massive problems analyzing and using in an optimal way. At the same time, rapid IoT data growth is introducing new security and data volume issues that current cloud security and storage systems will have difficulty handling.

By the time the rapidly growing streams of data get to the cloud-based analytic systems and then circle back to the devices with instructions based on the analysis of the larger data ecosystem, the opportunity for instant analysis and appropriate action is greatly reduced.

Fortunately, a concept called Edge Computing can make sense of, and put to use, the wealth of data taken from IoT.

Edge computing solves that problem by effectively putting processing power a good deal closer to where the action is happening. Because of this, it can offer game-changing opportunities for organizations looking to leverage the advantages of IoT without many common constraints and drawbacks.

Edge Computing Defined

Edge computing is a type of information technology system in which data is processed as close to the original source as possible, incorporating a horizontal architecture that distributes the resources and services of computing, storage, networking, and communications closer to the actual data sources. Rather than merely sending data elsewhere, any device with computing, storage, and network connectivity can be attached to programmable automation controllers, which handle processing, communication and other tasks.

The result is not limited merely to faster processing and analysis of important data. Edge computing can also address bandwidth capacity and other communications challenges, particularly with the rapidly increasing amount of data that is produced and the increased demands of artificial intelligence and other systems to enable two-way instant intelligence and action.

The Advantages and Applications of Edge Computing

The potential of edge computing is both powerful and broad across any number of possible applications. Here are a few ways in which Edge Computing can change the data world as we know it:

  • Manufacturing – In these settings, edge devices, including machines and sensors, can capture streaming data used to predict and prevent a part from failing. They can also reroute traffic or modify production for maximum productivity and head off product defects quickly and efficiently. As a result, you can increase speed while reducing costs and boosting revenue.
  • Drones – These devices need to essentially “phone home” to take any action on data that’s collected. Edge computing allows drones themselves to analyze collected data and take appropriate steps in lieu of said data. For example, a drone examining a remote forest fire, a collapsed building or hundreds of acres of farmland can pinpoint a problem itself and take action instantly. Simultaneously, drones can pinpoint nearby human personnel and provide those people with valuable information, enabling faster and more effective response times.
  • Remote Offices – Essentially, applying Edge Computing to this situation would include replicating cloud services on a local level. By installing intermediary micro data centers or high-performance servers at such remote locations, employees and others working away from a centralized location or headquarters can have the ability to act on valuable information in a fraction of the time needed to first send the data to cloud storage.

Other Advantages

Given its decentralized nature, Edge Computing can also prove difficult in the world of cybersecurity. But since computing and control occur near the original source of the data, it would be easier to identify any unusual or suspicious activity and take action long before a security breach occurs. Additionally, since Edge Computing allows for communication, networking and other tasks without extensive routing, a higher level of containment is possible, providing fewer opportunities for cyber attacks.

It’s also important to bear in mind that Edge Computing is not unduly limiting. While Edge Computing offers remarkable opportunities, we’re certainly not going to stop using cloud services as we have come to know them. Rather, it’s a complementary relationship in which both parties boost the other’s value. Particularly voluminous or less time-sensitive data and information can be transferred to the cloud for comprehensive analytics or simply long-term storage.

Edge Computing acknowledges the scope of IoT, while addressing many of the challenges and drawbacks such a comprehensive network presents. The next step is for you and your organization to become more anticipatory in discovering what Edge Computing can and will do to transform your industry. How can you capitalize on this technology and become the disruptor? What Hard Trends are you noticing in your industry that point to problems needing pre-solving with the use of Edge Computing?

Help your organization take this game-changing opportunity and make it your own.

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“Negotiator – Motivating People Can Be Easy – Just Give Them Hope“ – Negotiation Tip of the Week

Motivating people is easy. Just infuse them with hope, and give them the tools to believe in themselves. Then, provide support by showing them how to use those tools. -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

“Negotiator – Motivating People Can Be Easy – Just Give Them Hope“ – Negotiation Tip of the Week

 

When implementing policy, strategy, or procedures that you want people to adopt, you must motivate them. You can accomplish that by giving them hope that your request is in their best interest. If you don’t, or they don’t see value in following your proposition, motivating them will be daunting, if at all possible. Embrace the following insights to get others to support your requests, and they will be quicker to accept the actions you set for them.

 

Mindfulness:

Be mindful of how you’re attired, your mannerisms, and the words you use when speaking. Because others will make assumptions about you and your motives based on the subliminal messages they receive. And that will impact the willingness they extend for you to lead them or avert your directives. To that end, understand what’s proper for the environment you’re in and comport yourself appropriately.

 

Awareness:

Unless you expect the unexpected, you’ll never observe it. Therefore, be keenly aware of those that plot in secret. Because they work in darkness for a purpose. And more than likely, that purpose won’t serve you.

 

Decorum:

During interactions with adversaries or those aligned with you, be aware of the silent signals you send via your body language. Your slightest grimace at an inopportune moment will momentarily flash your disdain about a subject’s discussion. And that can sway someone’s perception of your likeability. If the likeability factor is missing or contrary, you’ll have a harder time trying to convince someone to follow you.

Even if someone assails your position, keep your cool. That is, keep it unless you’re in an environment where such a slight is expected to be met by a stern rebuttal or some other action that allows others to think, I would have done the same thing. Your task is to make others see themselves in you and your position. That will be the allure that attracts them to bond with you.

 

Replicate Online And Offline Platforms:

Have you observed how social media platforms get people to engage with others? They do so by letting you know when others have tagged you in a post, picture, or article. Thus, the more people involved in a thread of information, the more nudges you’ll receive about the thoughts and comments of others that may include you. That procedure impacts your curiosity. Natural inquisitiveness will heighten the desire in most people to investigate what someone has stated about them. Because they want to know what others are saying – especially if it may be salacious.

You can use the same process to move people to embrace your ideas and direction. To do that, filter the information that others see by feeding them the positive statements that others are making about your position. The more positive comments people see, the more swayed they’ll become to accept your view. In social media, you can use the platform that’s easiest to control. But social media is not your only controlling point to consider.

You can use any platform to manage your message. Thus, it doesn’t have to be social media. It can be something as simple as posting flyers in prominent places that depicts positive sentiments about your position. All you have to do is have control over the process and what people see. That will influence the way they think.

 

Digital Trace:

There’s a plethora of digital information that awaits your uncovering. And if you uncover savory nuggets, that’s another way to shift the perspective that others have of your adversary. If you choose to use such information to advantage your position, before doing so, make sure that information will move your opponents’ supporters. And remember that a smart foe will attempt to gather information about you from digital trace information too. So, keep yourself away from controversy today that might negatively impact someone’s perception of your character tomorrow.

 

Getting People To Follow Your Request:

There are three psychological factors that you must activate when coaxing others to accept your directives. If these forces are not employed, your subjects will be less likely to embrace your offerings.

Deep Psychology:

  1. Motivation – The person must want to perform the behavior.
  2. Ability – The person perceives themselves to have the ability to address your request and view it as not being difficult to do.
  3. Trigger – You must give a call to action and remind them to address the behavior you wish them to embrace.

To be effective, you must use the three actions mentioned, motivation, ability, and trigger in the same request. The formula is, behavior, equals motivation, plus ability, plus a trigger. Therein will lie how you can use psychological motivators to entice more people to embrace your requests or demands.

 

Using Other People’s Words:

To enhance your position, consider using the words of others about the direction you wish people to adopt. You can couch those words from a positive or negative perspective. As an example, if you want people to move closer to your position, cite the words an influencer used to talk about a stance that’s similar to yours. If seeking to decrease the probability of people challenging your opinion, recite the words of doom that a prominent figure made. In either case, you can strengthen your point by using third-party sentiments. Thus, ponder this, and other tactics you can employ, that’ll influence the thoughts of those you wish to impact.

 

Reflection:

When people speak, a silent rider accompanies their words, which conveys hidden information about their inner thoughts. And those silent signals can undermine the intent their words were meant to report. Hence, what someone says can be perceived to have different meanings based on the words they use, and their mannerisms. And that impacts the perception that others have of them.

Always keep the insights mentioned in mind. By doing so, you’ll be better positioned to entice people to follow, embrace, and accept your leadership and directions … and everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here https://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

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“Don’t Joust When You Want To Project Powerful Trust“ – Negotiation Insight

“Trust is like a shimmering light. It appears one moment and gone the next. To keep it illuminated longer, limit those that would keep you in the dark.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click here to Tweet)

Click here to get the book!

“Don’t Joust When You Want To Project Powerful Trust“ – Negotiation Insight

“Trust is like a shimmering light. It appears one moment and gone the next. To keep it illuminated longer, limit those that would keep you in the dark.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click here to Tweet)

Click here to get the book!

“Don’t Joust When You Want To Project Powerful Trust“

How do you know they’ll trust us? I don’t know. But, if they sense we’re willing to follow their lead, not joust with them, and project an open, honest, and powerful desire for them to trust us, I believe they will. So were the words exchanged between two members of a team that desperately wanted their counterparts to trust them. They needed to be trusted because, without it, the chances of a successful outcome would become significantly diminished.

When engaging people, trust plays a pivotal role in the outcome. And, since that leads to faith, which impacts confidence, which affects expectations, the degree you’re trusted determines how far they’ll follow your requests and mandates. Without that, you risk standing on the proverbial desert of isolation, waiting for an oasis that most likely will never occur.

As you reach to others to enhance your efforts, consider the following factors to heighten the probability that they’ll work with you.

Degrees of Trust:

The characteristics and background of the people you attempt to control will determine the amount of trust they’ll grant you. If they come from non-trusting environments or have had poor relationships with authorities in the past, more time and effort will be required to solicit their trust. On the other hand, if you have a reputation of someone that others have trusted in the past, less effort will be required. And therein lies your measurement as to the effort you’ll spend in obtaining the trust needed to get others to believe and accept what you request of them.

Reasons For Broken Trust:

Entities having cross purposes can be one reason trust is not established or broken. There can be a host of other reasons too. To enhance your efforts, think about the following ideas that might impact the trust factor in your efforts to implant a plan or to get others to bond and embrace your directions.

  • Combativeness – Some people shrink when put in combative environments – they can become absorbed and consumed by it. And yet others will thrive in such situations. You should know the setting that’s best suited to motivate those you deal with based on your surroundings. In some circumstances, you can heighten someone’s abilities for a short time by placing them in stressful situations. At other times they may wither. Always be mindful of the position you put people in and how long you keep them in it.
  • Subjugation – Everyone is not a leader. Thus, some people are more comfortable being followers. Knowing the mental makeup of your allies and those that combat your efforts should be the cornerstone of any plan you create. Incorporating this insight into any strategy you devise allows you to assess and determine how you might manipulate the powers to be. That will enable you to enhance your efforts and erode the forces that oppose you.
  • Hard/Soft hand – History has taught us that force is required to overwhelm a relentless foe. And history has also shown that rebellions can occur when power reigns too heavy-handedly to suppress the desires of the less fortunate. Therefore, when you have authority or supremacy, you should be careful about how you use it.

If others view your edicts as being too harsh, you can entice inner resurrection amongst those that prowl to subvert your efforts. If your approach is considered too soft, you can appear weak or noncommittal for the outcome you’re chasing. Like most things in life, striking the right balance between being too hard or soft is the position you should pursue. That’s the sweet spot that will enable the possibility of you achieving the best outcome.

Fitting The Pieces Together:

Control Jousters – In every environment, people jockey for power. And the factions that stem from those activities can weaken your position and drastically impede your progress – especially if you need a united alliance. So, be mindful of underlings that seek power for their self-aggrandizement. Do this within your forces and your opponent’s ranks too.

Some individuals may want clout to feed their ego, while others may wish it so that others don’t view them as a bottom-feeder. In either case, you can use such forces as leverage to enhance your efforts, or thwart those of your adversaries. In the latter instance, incite those in the opposer’s camp to vie for power, which will pit them against one another. While they’re confronting inner chaos, use their fray to weaken their most robust components by enticing other factions of there’s to align with you. Be careful how you employ this ploy within your ranks. If done ineffectively, you may incite an uprising in your midst.

Reflection:

Anyone can be king-for-a-day. But if you want to be a leader that others will eagerly follow, you must project a powerful trust factor. Doing that will enhance your persona. It will silently state that you’re someone that has influence and someone worthy of leading others. Without those factors, others may follow your lead for a short time, but you’ll have challengers that’ll quest to supplant your leadership. Heavy will be the head that wears the crown. And that head will be yours.

So, inspire others by showing them that you’re a reckoning force. That force can be to their advantage or their detriment. Hence, display firmness when required and at other times, be lenient. Regardless, in the end, to get others to abide by your wishes, adopt the demeanor that’ll move them the most. The one constant factor in that is trust. Use it wisely … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here https://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

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Scholarship Announcement for 2019

I spent my early career teaching and have a deep passion for lifelong learning and creating a life of dreams fulfilled. Accomplishing educational goals is a significant step toward this. I tell my audiences that “I want to create a widely diversified portfolio of unforgettable memories,” and I encourage others to do the same.

While each of us has an important purpose and a unique story to tell, we all need a boost at some point to give our dreams momentum.

Burrus Scholarship Gives Dreams a Boost

A couple of years ago, the idea to support a few individuals each year in the pursuit of their educational dreams arose. These individuals also maintain a focus on the greater community in which they live. That being said, I created the Daniel Burrus Scholarship Fund.

The award is given once a year to individuals in high school who plan on attending college or are full-time college students in good academic standing with a desire to continue their education and better impact their community.

I’m proud to announce the three winners of our Fall 2019 award

The scholarship recipients’ essays explained how they each believe my anticipation principles, such as paying attention to Hard and Soft Trends, the Law of Opposites, Problem Skipping and Choosing to Be Extraordinary, can help an organization lead transformation instead of just react to change. Let me introduce them.

First up is Ember Milstead who resides in Rome, GA. Ember recently graduated from Model High School and is currently attending Pennsylvania State University, double majoring in criminology and psychology in pursuit of a promising career in criminal law. Ultimately, Ember’s goal is to aid in the reduction of false convictions in the United States and to better our legal system.

Ember identifies Hard Trends as something useful in recognizing disruptions before they disrupt. She believes that to do this, an organization must first differentiate between Soft Trends and Hard Trends, where Soft Trends are predictions that have the potential to occur and Hard Trends are future facts that will occur. She cites that technological advancements are a Hard Trend and in addition to this, believes organizations can use Hard Trends to accelerate their success, citing Netflix as the most prominent example of a company pre-solving a problem before it actually becomes a problem.

 

 

 

Secondly, we have Matthew De La Cruz who is from the Bronx in New York. Overcoming a diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Delays (PDD-NOS), which falls under the Autistic Spectrum, at two years old, and with the undying support of his immigrant parents, Matthew worked hard to exceed the limitations of his condition and graduated as Valedictorian from Monsignor Scanlan High School in 2019. He currently attends Baruch College in New York City studying finance and he aspires to become the CEO of a financial firm in the future.

Remarkably, Matthew cites the invention of the wheel in 3,500 B.C. as evidence of technological change being a constant in our lives, even though these days it has become predominantly digital and based in the Internet of Things (IoT). Because of this, Matthew believes that using an anticipatory mindset to point out certainties in markets is important for a company of any size to transform technological change into a competitive advantage and flourish in the present and the future.

And finally, we have Kennedy McKinney who is a passionate future journalist. Her love for journalism began in 2013 when she decided to start her own online paper, and it’s only grown from there with her accomplishment of becoming editor-in-chief at her high school paper. Kennedy is now majoring in Journalism with a specialty in entertainment and sports, where she also plans to learn more about media production and video editing to prepare for the constant transition from print to digital papers.

Kennedy believes that a common example of how a company can use Hard Trends to anticipate is found most predominantly with technology. Over 3.8 billion people use the internet today, which Kennedy identifies as a Hard Trend. However, she also observes that many companies use Soft Trends more frequently, which are trends based on statistics that have the appearance of being fully predictable facts, but notes that they are something that might happen as opposed to Hard Trends that will happen. Therefore she believes companies should not strategies solely on Soft Trends, but utilize Hard Trends to anticipate change and transform their future.

The inspiration and intelligence these young people bring to their communities and the world are boundless. Small acts of support grow exponentially. Keep making an impact on the next generation of leaders in your community.

The Daniel Burrus Scholarship Fund was created to be a resource for those students who applied AO principles to help them achieve their goals and objectives while leading others along the way. By supporting students to shape a positive future, I believe our youth can be better prepared to become transformational leaders within their communities and achieve enormous success. Learn more about the Daniel Burrus Scholarship Program. You might also be interested in picking up a copy of my latest book The Anticipatory Organization.

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Entrepreneurship Marketing Personal Development

How Popular Thought Leaders Attract Followers Through Their Stories

Being a thought leader is no walk in the park. Staying in demand is even harder. I’ve seen a lot of speakers and subject matter experts come and go over the last decade. The ones that became the most successful the longest, know how to tell stories people need to hear.

Most executives get into the speaking circuit because they know solutions others would benefit from but they have a hard time getting people to listen. Especially early on. Everyone talks about the importance of having a digital presence and digital marketing but how do you grow an audience from scratch?

The first thing to know about creating traffic is that you’re not creating it. Your job is to convert it. The internet is traffic. It’s already there waiting for you.

Brands and companies winning with digital marketing are producing the most helpful and unique content by sharing their expertise on their subject matter in a way that relates to the people seeking something new and different.

Content marketing isn’t new it’s been “a thing” for thousands of years. The term “content marketing” was adopted in 2007 though to highlight the shift away from traditional interruption-based advertising to the maturing discipline of value-oriented content creation. It was a reminder and call to arms to stay grounded in the way humans communicate.

By telling stories and sharing experiences people can relate to.

Gary Vaynerchuck is one of the most in-demand corporate speakers today on digital marketing. But people don’t follow him because he talks about digital marketing. They follow him because they first related to his story and experience is something they want to replicate for themselves.

Gary grew his parents’ wine business from $3 million to $60 million by being one of the first companies to use YouTube to make wine video reviews to sell their inventory. He left that world and grew an 800 personal digital marketing agency for the world’s biggest brands. He isn’t just talking about digital marketing he lives and breathes it.

Similarly, Simon Sinek didn’t blow up for telling companies to update their mission statements. He shared his experience of how he quit his corporate job because he felt a lack of excitement and of attention to basic human emotional needs at large companies in a TedTalk that became the 3rd most popular watched presentation of all time.

Sinek explains complex obvious problems by sharing stories that create shared experiences.

Over the last 8 years our Chairman, Jeffrey Hayzlett, has delivered over 1,300 keynote presentations by outlining in vivid detail, how he and his team went through one of the largest gut-wrenching turnarounds in American business history. Telling his experience validates what every other company in the world is feeling and going through. Unmitigated massive ongoing scary changing business landscapes and how to face the fear of the unknown.

By sharing experience, we spread knowledge.

The point is some of the most in-demand speakers and thought leaders are not just marketing themselves as speakers available for hire. Popular thought leaders today are the missing messages for change in increasingly outdating industries. Telling hard truths most aren’t willing to say.

The most effective way to share your message is to tell stories.

Marketing and soap operas:

The phrase soap opera came about in the mid-1930s because the sponsors of the earliest radio shows were soap manufacturers targeting housewives through daytime radio ads for woman.

Attention from the same advertisers then shifted in the 60s to TV programming for working moms. High drama shows involving betrayals, breakups, dark secrets, and intimate storylines were capturing the attention of the masses. It was in that shift where marketers learned the mainstream attraction and power of storytelling. They integrated their advertising where people were listening to stories.

Digital marketers today are now scrambling to become the story not just interrupt them.

The emergence of the soap opera sequence:

Marketers only have seconds to capture strangers’ attention.

They are doing so by getting people hooked on an idea. This isn’t about manipulation it’s about getting to the point of what really matters to them.

Digital marketers today have adapted a term known as the Soap Opera Sequence to structure their communication in story form intended to create drama, build suspense and anticipation, and ultimately entice people to take action.

Telling your story using the soap opera sequence

1. Set The Stage:

Start off with an eye-raising statistic or enticing question.

2. Backstory

What’s the dramatic pain point everyone knows in the industry but nobody is talking about that creates trust and allows the know you’re just like them?

3. Hitting the Wall

What reoccurring business problem stopped you from reaching your goal that your prospect can relate to?

4. The Epiphany

What epiphany did you have that solved the problem in a new way that others should know? The secret you learned that changed everything after you implemented it?

5. The Hidden Benefits

What unexpected benefits emerged as a result of the changes you implemented?

6. The Call to Action

Why act now versus later? What will it cost not to act right now?

When communicating with purpose to attract your tribe, use the soap opera sequence to make your content stand out by telling a story that your audience can relate to.

It isn’t about putting out content. It’s putting out content in a relevant and meaningful way.

There has always been too much content. The only way to stand out is to relevant and different. Tell your story like nobody else!

For more information visit tylerhayzlett.com