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“The Hidden Role Politics Plays In The Cover-up” – Negotiation Insight

 

“Some people think cover-ups are a necessity of life; others think they’re not. But when politics is involved, always think of covering yourself, less you be the one that’s covered up.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click here to Tweet)

“The Hidden Role Politics Plays In The Cover-up”

He awoke with a feeling of utter disbelief. He’d done everything right by following the guidelines and keeping his superiors abreast of his actions. They’d given him their buy-in as he moved from one aspect of the operations to the next. Still, when the outcome was not as expected, he was abandoned by those that had given him their assurances of support. Even worse, they threw him under the proverbial bus. He didn’t know it at the time, but politics had played a role in his abandonment. There’d been a cover-up. And his betrayal was done to conceal the nefarious actions of others.

Later, he wondered what happened and mused about being a sacrificial lamb. Upon reflection, he realized that he’d been led to slaughter while others kept him in a state of calm. And that occurred through the reassurance that his superiors and contemporaries gave him that he’d be protected. He concluded that politics had played a hidden role in the decision to cast him as the fall-guy. It placed the blame on him for what others touted as an adverse outcome.

Has anything like that ever happened to you? I’m sure you can recount some issues that you experienced in your life that took a side-turn. Just when you thought everything was on the track of success, something occurred to derail it. It may have been politics’ hidden role that served as the culprit.

When a crisis is brewing, warning signs occur. If you miss those signals, you may be walking down a precarious path fraught with danger that’s waiting for your arrival. To become better insulated from the undesirable underbelly that politics can have in uncertain situations, consider the following as you go forward in life.

 

The Political Game:

Most cover-ups occur due to pressure brought from a superior force. And it’s cast upon those that have limited abilities to confront it. Therefore, when you’re the lesser force in the equation, be vigilant about why an entity might abandon you, due to the pressures forced upon them. Therein will lie one of the safeguards you can use to protect yourself.

When politics are involved, people will align with unimaginable sources to safeguard themselves. Consider the forces you might form to shield yourself too. Just keep in mind that no alliance is permanent. Hence, be aware of when they shift. As they do, that’ll be your cue to reassess the forces against you and the possible time to form new alliances.

Mindfulness:

Be mindful of the role you’re playing in someone’s political game. Consider how disposable you are and what the kingmaker’s goals are. You should also take into mind the type of characteristics he possesses. Ask yourself, is he someone that stands behind his words? What proof has he shown of that in the past? What were some of his most dire situations where he stood up for those he represented? And, if so, when did he abandon them?

You’re seeking a roadmap of his past activities that might indicate how he’ll act and react in future situations. That’s important because you’re going to base your interactions with others in his sphere based on his prior actions. Sometimes, that insight will allow you to become insulated from the drudgeries of the politics that might grip him.

Connections:

Connect with those in power while realizing that their power is fluid – just like it’ll flow to them, then through them, one day, it’ll eventually flow away from them. So, be aware of whom you’ll connect with as power shifts. Also, be translucent when doing so. That means you should be cognizant that there are no permanent friends, no permanent enemies, just permanent interests.

Thus, always consider if you’ll align yourself with the power that’s behind the face of power or those that defy that source. To assess which may be better, determine the path to whom authority is flowing, and the probability of it igniting new leadership. Either way, understand the political game you’re in, and you’ll have a better chance of protecting yourself. Accordingly, you need to choose wisely.

Reflection:

No one is immune from injustices. Because justice herself can be an unfaithful mistress. If you think because you do the right thing, by following the rules and keeping interested parties abreast of your actions, you’ll escape harm, think again. Politics make for strange bedfellows. Always remember, those with substantial influence and power don’t want to lose it. To prevent that from occurring, they may combine forces with the most unsavory characters to maintain their authority. And that can leave you in the lurch.

Consider the thoughts and ideas mentioned earlier when you first sense betrayal or shifting support. Even better, attempt not to place yourself in such a position by always being aware of what’s occurring around you. If you’re never in a place where danger lurks, it will never find 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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Apollo 11 Moon Landing – Doing the Impossible

As I travel around the world as a strategic advisor and keynote speaker, I have the privilege of meeting many amazing people, including presidents, prime ministers, and Fortune 500 CEOs, just to name a few.

Several years ago, I was speaking in Jordan at a leadership summit when I had the pleasure of meeting Neil Armstrong. Of all the people I’ve met, I must admit that this meeting was the one I was most looking forward to. Given that fact and Mr. Armstrong’s incredible legacy, myself and millions, if not billions, of others around the world were saddened by his passing. In his memory, and in lieu of the 50th anniversary of the successful Apollo 11 moon landing, I wanted to share a story he shared that I believe has a profound message for our time.

Impossible Roadblocks

He said that in the years of research, innovation, and testing that led up to his first footsteps on the moon, there were many times that NASA engineers and scientists would reach an impossible roadblock. During these times, they would say, “We will have to halt the mission. There is no scientific solution to this problem.” Or, “We have tried everything imaginable to solve this problem, and we can’t solve it.”

He went on to say that every time NASA’s best thinkers and scientists reached an impossible roadblock, they were told, “We are going to the moon.” And every time, they would look at each other and say, “OK, got it,” and then they would try again and again. Soon, they would have a solution that worked. He said this happened many times, and each time, the impossible turned out to be possible once they were reminded of the impossible mission they were on.

Your Biggest Problem

This concept is a variation of my strategy of taking a problem and skipping it. Take into consideration your organization’s biggest problem, and you will come to realize that it is likely not the real problem; it is merely a roadblock, much like NASA’s several roadblocks on its way to the moon.

In your organization, “going to the moon” is likely a metaphor for accomplishing something that no other organization has accomplished before. Perhaps your organization is implementing my Hard Trend Methodology, through which you pay close attention to the Hard Trends shaping your industry and pre-solve your customers’ problems with a new product or service they never knew they needed. From an outsider’s perspective, that new product or service initially sounds outlandish; however, the organization acted in an anticipatory manner in realizing what a customer needed before it existed.

NASA going to the moon, solving problems to get to the moon, and piloting our country far ahead in the space race was NASA anticipating. Having a compelling vision for where you want to go or what you want to do—something that is bigger than any one person, something that might even seem impossible—is the kind of vision that can cause people to want to do more, want to reach higher, and want to keep trying.

Remember, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did not stand up in front of all those people in Washington, DC, and say, “I have a plan.” Rather, he said, “I have a dream.” And his dream was not to get elected or make vast sums of money. His dream was to better mankind. Putting a man on the moon was similar. It was a dream we could all share—a vision that would not have us question the cost—so we did it.

When Neil Armstrong was about to take that first step off the ladder and onto the moon’s surface, he did not say, “One small step for a NASA astronaut, one giant leap for the United States.” He knew that going to the moon was a human achievement for all of humankind.

Whether you are the leader of a country, a company, a business, or a school, when you find yourself faced with something that seems impossible, remember how we put a man on the moon—by keeping a dream, an articulated vision of what we want to do, as a picture in our mind’s eye. You can take your organization’s biggest problem and simply skip it, propelling the organization to new heights and accomplishing things for the greater good of humankind. Human history has taught us that nothing is impossible when we have a big dream that can be converted into a shared vision.

Learn more with my latest book The Anticipatory Organization– get your copy here.

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Biography and History Culture Growth News and Politics Personal Development

Will the Draft End at the Hand of 18-Year-Old Women?

Recently, we learned that a Houston Southern District Court Federal Judge ruled an all-male draft to be unconstitutional since it violates equal protection principles. All males must register with the selective service once they turn 18, despite nobody being conscripted for more than 40 years. One would presume this requires 18-year-old females to register as well.

This development brings up a series of debates about female equality, women in the military, and changes in military tech, but an even bigger debate is whether or not we even need a draft.

The Dreaded Draft

Michael lived in fear of being drafted throughout his entire college career. Thankfully, he never was. Vietnam wasn’t exactly a popular war among the young soldiers who were forced to fight it. Most were drafted against their wishes—taken from their classrooms and put right on the front lines with barely any training. Many died, and many of those who didn’t come home with lost limbs, PTSD, and/or drug addiction.

Despite the fact that many women enlisted and served, they weren’t drafted against their will—only men were. This, combined with the war’s unpopularity, ultimately ended the draft.

Both of Michael’s brothers voluntarily joined, hoping for a choice of duties rather than waiting to be drafted. Michael filed for student deferments, which became less and less effective as time went on. His classmates were being drafted and sent away to Vietnam. Many people left the country and were therefore branded as draft-dodging, and “un-American”. Imagine that—being too young to vote, yet you could be drafted at any time against your will to fight a war that you don’t have a say in.

Eventually, the Selective Service hosted a lottery and actually had a woman on TV pulling Ping-Pong balls out of a huge bowl like she was hosting Keno or Bingo. There were 366 balls with a birthdate printed on each. The first balls drawn represented the birthdates of the first young men drafted. Thankfully, Michael’s birthdate was drawn toward the end. But the draft ultimately ended, and so did the war—and the US stopped punishing “draft dodgers” in 1977. What a relief!

Reconsidering Our Votes When it comes to Drafting

What’s most interesting about this story, as scary as the draft was, is that it forced the US to take an interest in the way their officials thought about the draft and the war. The draft was solely responsible for numerous casualties of those who were ripped from the general public to be conscripted into duty.

Today, the debate to eliminate the draft is based on the idea of volunteer-based armed forces—a professional army. While we are eternally thankful for volunteer soldiers’ sacrifices, we worry about the possibility of apathy and a disconnect with the general public.

Wars with a draft did not exceed 4 years, for the most part. Now, they can apparently go on forever! Why? With the draft, it hit too close to home. Now, it’s “someone else’s job.” With the draft, sons were torn away from their careers and families without their consent. But now, with volunteering soldiers, people may say, “They knew the job was dangerous when they took it.” Some folks are even discussing turning certain wars over to private businesses to avoid repercussion.

As awful as the draft was, it forced people to be opinionated and speak publicly about the wisdom of the war. When officials fought for reelection, the vigilant and motivated majority held them accountable. The draft was on everyone’s mind.

But having said all that—we are not in favor of the draft. We are, however, against the kind of apathy that encourages warfare without accountability. Maybe with women now subject to being drafted, we’ll come up with a way to end it all without starting endless wars. Our servicemen and women deserve civilian oversight and constant awareness of the important decision-makers that put them in harm’s way.

For more, read on: http://c-suitenetworkadvisors.com/advisor/michael-houlihan-and-bonnie-harvey/

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Best Practices Growth News and Politics Personal Development

 What Boeing Can Learn From Oncologists and Hackers

Boeing is dealing with the aftermath of two 737 MAX8 crashes in less than six months, causing over 300 deaths. All MAX8 aircraft have been grounded worldwide, the stock has taken a huge hit, and customers are now canceling upcoming orders.

How did the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial and military aircraft, with an outstanding safety record for decades, get themselves into this mess? Air travel is still the safest form of transportation. It’s just that when an airplane falls out of the sky, hundreds of people die. When it happens twice in a short time for the same reason, people panic.

One theory is that Boeing over-automated the aircraft. By taking control out of the hands of pilots to prevent stalls, they may have inadvertently created a situation that resulted in an automated system that may be causing more crashes than it prevents. Boeing also tried to simplify training—with some pilots only getting minimal training on the new aircraft via iPads. Did their efforts to get the plane to market with as little upgrade cost to airlines as possible backfire?

Perhaps the real answer is about mindset. If a new aircraft passed the prescribed tests, Boeing (and the FAA) deemed it to be airworthy…except it wasn’t.

Both oncologists and hackers will tell you betting that things are OK because you don’t immediately see a problem can often lead to disaster. There was a time when a doctor who ordered a mammogram or CT scan presumed that if no lumps or growths were seen, the patient was healthy. Now good radiologists and oncologists presume that there’s cancer lurking in every corner—until they can prove otherwise. They know that what they see is the full picture. The consequences of missing a few rogue cancer cells hiding somewhere may be the difference between life and death.

Top financial institutions take the same approach. They hire groups of hackers to break into their systems—to expose flaws no one knew were there. They know that just because no one has broken in so far that doesn’t mean the flaw isn’t there. It just means it hasn’t been discovered—yet. And finding out through a huge data breach can have severe consequences.

What Boeing should have done was hired the aviation equivalent of smart oncologists or hackers. Turn lose the most highly experienced pilots you can find and let them have at it in a simulator. Put the aircraft through its paces in the worst conditions they can imagine. Then go to younger, less experienced flight crews and see how they handle the same scenarios—do they take the correct actions, or do new issues arise?

Good user experience testing makes a critical difference. How are these systems actually being used? Are there learning issues for flight crews who are not native English speakers? Do experienced pilots expect the aircraft to behave in a way that may not reflect what actually happens? What are the unintended consequences of taking decisions like this away from the flight crew?

We can shake our heads at what Boeing didn’t do, but let’s not forget that it’s all too easy for organizations in almost any industry to make these same kinds of mistakes. We need to take these lessons to heart for our own businesses, rather than gloating at Boeing’s predicament.

Where are the potential gotchas in your systems, your products, your services, your delivery methods? Have you done a comprehensive scan from top to bottom to ensure no fatal flaws are hiding just under the surface? Are you hacking your own systems to find the weakest links?

When the first hint of a potential problem arrives, take it seriously. Don’t wait for the same issue to occur twice or more before taking appropriate action. Presuming a fatal flaw won’t occur is a strategy that just doesn’t fly.

Linda J. Popky, Founder of Leverage2Market Associates, is an award-winning Silicon Valley-based strategic marketing expert who is the author of the book Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters and the Executive Director of the Society for the Advancement of Consulting (SAC). Follow her on Twitter at @popky #mktgabove.

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An Empire Crumbles: Why the Jussie Smollett Situation Matters for Business

Last Friday, March 8, actor Jussie Smollett was indicted on 16 felony charges for filing a false police report about his claim he was brutally assaulted in Chicago in February.

Smollett is the actor from the hit show Empire who came forward with a chilling story of assault that included both homophobia and racism. What happened to him sounded terrible, and it shocked the nation.

The problem was that from the beginning nothing added up. The “assailants,” who were identified from video surveillance, were Black men who had a prior connection to Smollett. They weren’t the right-wing Trump supporters Smollett claimed had accosted him. They told police Smollett had paid them to stage the entire ruse. The whole thing appears to have been a pitiful attempt to garner attention and get Smollett a pay raise for his role on Empire.

Serving Smollett with 16 felony counts seems a bit extreme, but the city of Chicago wanted to send a message. Consider what Smollett’s actions unleashed:

1. Civil rights leaders, celebrities, politicians, and others came forward to denounce this kind of attack as unacceptable. They were then each forced to backtrack on their statements once it became clear things were not as it had first seemed.

2. The Chicago Police Department took this situation very seriously. They invested a great deal of time and manpower to investigate an incident that never actually happened. Those resources could have been deployed elsewhere to solve other, real crimes.

3. Incidents similar to this do happen to other people. This type of caper hurts all those people with real experiences of homophobic, sexual, or racial harassment. Now anyone who reports an incident like this will be scrutinized more closely. Is this claim for real? Has it been exaggerated? Or, is it totally made up, like Smollett’s story was?

What lessons are there for those of us in business?

1. Don’t jump to conclusions. In the #MeToo era, it’s natural to want to act quickly to stop harassment and bigotry when it occurs—but sometimes things are not as they first seem. Take time to learn what’s really going on. Don’t make accusations or come to conclusions before doing a thorough investigation.

2. Don’t automatically believe charges of this type are not real. This case stands out because it is so unusual to see an incident of this type staged. While there is always the possibility of a he said-she said issue, most of the time when there’s an allegation, there’s at least some behavior or action that may be questionable. See what’s going on before dismissing incidents as fake news.

3. Put a process in place now. Don’t wait until you’re in the crosshairs of an emotional incident to figure out how you will deal with serious allegations like this. Just like you have a process for evacuating a building when the fire alarm rings, you should have a process for handling allegations of harassment and bigotry.

4. Be clear that there’s no room for hate. Let employees, suppliers, and customers know that you will not tolerate sexual or racial harassment, misogyny, homophobia, Islamaphobia, anti-Semitism or anything of the like. When you are clear that there’s no room for hate in your organization, it’s less likely these situations will occur on your watch.

Linda J. Popky, founder of Leverage2Market Associates, is an award-winning Silicon Valley-based strategic marketing expert who is the author of the book Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters and the Executive Director of the Society for the Advancement of Consulting (SAC). Follow her on Twitter at @popky #mktgabove.

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Best Practices Growth News and Politics Personal Development

Plagiarism or Sloppiness: What Happened to Jill Abramson’s Merchants of Truth?

Editor: Fix, Correct, Heal Yourself!

Former New York Times editor Jill Abramson is in the spotlight with her new book Merchants of Truth for all the wrong reasons.

Abramson has been accused of plagiarizing a number of passages in the book from other previously published material. Her initial response was to categorically deny this had happened. However, after reporter Michael Moynihan posted tweets showing several passages from Abramson’s book side-by-side with nearly identical content from other sources, Abramson pulled back, “reviewed the situation,” and is having the errors fixed.

What happened here?

It’s highly doubtful that someone with as long and distinguished a journalistic career as Abramson set out to purposely plagiarize others’ material in her own book. The passages cited are background and context setting material that would not be of issue had they been tagged with footnotes that referenced the original published source. Without the footnotes or references, however, the passages appear to be Abramson’s work when they really are not.

It looks like one of the industry’s best known editors missed the boat when it came to the editing of her own book. The question is how could something like this happen.

The book was published by Simon & Schuster—a well-established publishing house. How did this get through the various editors and reviewers who looked over the manuscript?   Perhaps someone along the way made the presumption that the work of a former New York Times editor didn’t need as much review and editing. Or perhaps someone was trying to save a few dollars by outsourcing this to the least costly resource available. Or trying to move too quickly and got sloppy.

I’ve edited and proofed a number of nonfiction books, some commercially published, some self-published, on a variety of topics. Often, I’m brought in to salvage a book after another editor (possibly offshore) has supposedly reviewed the manuscript, but errors remain. Some of these authors are fairly distinguished, highly educated, experts in their fields. Regardless, their work still needs review and editing.

Some times I find grammatical or punctuation errors. Other times I see repetitive phrases or unclear sentence structure. Still other times, I find problems with narrative flow or continuity.

It’s certainly not unusual for me to find situations like Abramson’s where attribution is missing. I flag these and direct the author to reference the source and add the proper attribution through a footnote or endnote.

That’s what good editors do, but for whatever reason, it didn’t happen here.

There are several lessons here for anyone who produces work to be published:

  • You can’t edit your own work. You can’t possibly get enough distance to read this with an unbiased eye. There isn’t a selfie stick long enough to give you the right perspective on something you create.
  • Don’t be wowed by the pedigree of the author. Everyone needs this kind of review. We are all human. The more prestigious the author, the more important it is that their work be as error-free as possible.
  • You get what you pay for. Yes, you can outsource this function to a cheaper resource, but is it worth it? A good, thorough, knowledgeable editor will cost more, but is more likely to catch errors like this.

Simon & Schuster will fix Abramson’s book in online and future print editions. But the cost to the reputation of both the publisher and the author is significant. After all, this is a book that is subtitled, “The business of news and the fight for facts.” Whoops.

Linda Popky is an award-winning Silicon Valley-based strategic marketing consultant, writer, and editor who helps organizations get heard above the noise. She is the author of Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters,  as well as the Executive Director of the Society for the Advancement of Consulting.

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Best Practices Human Resources Investing Management Marketing Negotiations News and Politics Sales Skills Women In Business

Negotiators: Beware of the Hidden Danger in Free Value

“There’s always a hidden fee in free. Don’t accept free without knowing what that hidden cost might be.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

As a negotiator, what do you consider when you hear free? Do you think about the hidden danger that may lurk in something that’s free? Sure, there could be value in the offer, but you should also beware of the hidden danger in anything that’s free.

When you hear the word free, your brain goes into a sense of euphoria. The endorphins begin to flow at the thought of receiving something for nothing. In such a mindset, you can become susceptible to lowering your guard. Doing that can leave you vulnerable to unsuspecting ploys. That can occur even when you’ve planned how you’ll address such offers. When you find yourself in such quandaries, consider the following.

What’s the offer attempting to achieve:

People are motivated by their aspirations. Thus, during a negotiation when offers are extended, a goal is at the purpose of that offer. If you’re aware of that intent, you’ll be in a better position to assess its potential value. Offers are not equal. Don’t let one that appears to be free become too costly for you to accept. Examine it thoroughly.

What’s to be gained:

Sometimes, acquiring a concession in a negotiation can add value to your overall goals. If the concession appears not to contain a cost, its allure may become bewitching. Be cautious when such appears to be the case. Good negotiators accumulate chits that they can use at other points in the negotiation. Thus, while you’re receiving what appears to be free, what you’re really receiving could be an IOU.

The timing of the offer:

The timing of an offer can obscure hidden dangers. If the intent is to obtain a greater concession, a negotiator may seek smaller ones to build towards the larger one. Thus, in some cases, positioning may be the goal. That means, offering something for free may be the setup or cover up for something to come.

Always be aware of where a concession or request may lead. Since negotiations are the accumulations of gains and concessions, you don’t want to make a concession thinking that it will lead to more gains. Or, acquire gains that are too costly, compared to the concessions you make to acquire them.

What do you have to concede:

In every negotiation, good negotiators have red herrings to use as chits or diversions. They can serve as bartering pieces that don’t contain a burdensome cost to you, or as distracters from the real intent of your offer. In a best-case scenario, a red herring should be perceived as something of value that you possess that can be dangled as a sought-after desire that the other negotiator wants. The more he’d like to possess it, the greater its perceived value will be. Thus, if it doesn’t cost you anything to relinquish, you can heighten its appeal by feigning great concern to part with it. The point is, don’t weaken red herrings by relinquishing them too easily. Doing so will weaken your negotiation position.

There’s a cost associated with everything we acquire, even if it’s just the time that we invest. Because time itself has a cost. If you keep in mind that nothing’s free, you’ll maintain a more prepared mind to assess the hidden cost and hidden dangers that may be concealed in free offers. Doing so will make you a better negotiator … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d really 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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Lie To Me, Please

“Alternative facts are aversions to the truth, to the degree that the truth remains concealed.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

“Okay. If you say that wasn’t you, I’ll believe you. Just know, the person I saw from 15 feet away looked just like you. Even more, when I called your name, the person that wasn’t you turned around, saw me, and hurriedly left the area. As that person scurried away, they walked like you, too.”

Do you know why some people will allow others to lie to them, accept the lie, and be okay doing so? The answer lies in one’s current circumstances and the environment they’re in.

1. Some people will subjugate themselves because of their circumstances (e.g. the liar is the one that pays the bills, earns the money in the relationship, is dominant in the relationship, etc.)

2. They do so for the better good of others that are involved.

3. In other cases, the target of the lie wants to be perceived as fitting into the norms of the group they belong to; to do otherwise might mean expulsion from the group.

4. In yet other situations, it’s easier for some people to accept an altered reality because the truth would hurt too badly (e.g. I can’t believe they’d do that to me. It must not be true.)

5. Some people may go along for a while to see what a liar will do next.

Here’s the point. We’re all driven by our emotions. Thus, our emotions will lend insight into what we’re willing to believe and accept. It’s not until that belief is too heavy a burden to bear that we change our beliefs about others and ourselves. That’s when we’ll take our life in a new direction.

Always be aware of why someone possesses certain beliefs. Having that insight will allow you to understand the person’s source of motivation and thinking. That will also allow you to better assist that individual in determining what reality really is. You’ll be able to use that to benefit yourself and them … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations?

In a negotiation, there will be times when you sense that the other negotiator is lying. You may gather such sensations from the manner that the opposing negotiator conveys certain sentiments via their body language (e.g. leaning away when defining a statement as the truth, altering the pitch of their voice while constantly looking away from you when doing so, fidgeting with other items in their proximity).

In such situations, it may behoove you to allow the liar to continue his lies to understand the characteristics of the person you’re dealing with. You may also do so if he’s telling little white lies so as not to embarrass him. Then, when that position no longer serves you, consider confronting him to validate his perception of the truth versus what he professes it to be.

Always remember, people will only do to you what you allow them to do. That means you have a degree of control in every environment you’re in. When it comes to dealing with those that lie incessantly, recognize them for who and what they are and deal with them appropriately.

Remember, you’re always negotiating! 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d really 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/

#Business #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #liars #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions

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Who’s Shaping Your Perspective?

“Your thought process is shaped by the filter through which you view life. To better understand it, understand who controls the lens through which your thought process is filtered.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

Do you really know what shapes your opinions and perspectives?

Most people don’t like to be told how to think. They want to maintain their independence and being told what to think infringes upon that. Nevertheless, most people don’t realize that they’re being primed to think a particular way, based on who and what they allow to become part of their thinking process.

No one has to tell you how to think in order to influence your thought process. Instead, all they have to do is tell you what to think about. Once you accept their premises, they’ve begun to steer your thought process towards one direction versus another. That’s the reason why you should be mindful of where your information comes from. Those sources have their own bent on what reality is. As they pass their perspectives to you, they’re also passing on the perspectives of how you should think about a situation.

In order to be more open-minded in your thought process, be more open-minded about the sources from which you gather information. You’ll be able to have an open mind by listening to the perspectives of others from a pro and con point of view. Once you do that, you’ll be better informed and able to understand any point of view from a more concise outlook.

People will always attempt to sway your thoughts to those that appeal to theirs. There’s nothing unnatural about that. It’s a form of validation per the way they think.

The point is, always maintain an open mind by being willing to listen to opinions that might differ from yours. The value of doing so will come in the form of your mind becoming more expanded. That will allow you to expand your thought processes even more, which in turn will allow you to understand the perspective of others better … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations? 

When negotiating, you must keep an open mind about how you’re thinking. In order to negotiate more effectively, you need to understand the thought process of the other negotiator too, and how she came to have that mindset; you can influence her mindset by what you suggest she think about. Once you have the insight by which she thinks, you’ll have a better understanding of why she adopts the stances she takes and why she makes the offers that she extends. The added benefit will be in being able to understand her better. At a minimum, that should allow you to have more empathy for her and her position. If you can get her to reciprocate, both of you will be able to engage in the negotiation from a more civil and open process. A silent benefit of that will be a less stressful negotiation, and when it comes to a negotiation, the more stress you can remove from it, the easier the negotiation becomes.

Remember, you’re always negotiating! 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d really 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/

#YourPerspective #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #Psychology #Perception #ControlLife #Control #leadership #HowToImproveyourself #Achievement

 

 

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Are You Being Hurt by the Perception of Power?

“Power is perceptional and fluid. As it shifts, it’s strengthened or diluted. Know the direction of its flow when making decisions.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

Always recognize when you’re in a state of euphoria and control your actions appropriately.

“He was great! I feel energized! Now, I believe I can accomplish all of my goals. That’s why I bought his $4,999 Super Deluxe Program!”

Such were the words of a young man in his late 20s. He had just attended a seminar where he was pumped up, while unknowingly his wallet was being deflated. In a few short months, he’d come to regret spending his money on that Deluxe Program. By then he’d be jobless and unable to pay his rent.

How are you victimized by the influence of perceived power? To what degree are you mentally manipulated by it?

When you sense power, it can be like an aphrodisiac. It stirs up arousal deeply in your soul. It releases endorphins within you and makes you momentarily feel like you rule the world. Yeah, it’s a good feeling! The problem or challenge that you might consider is, what form of manipulation are you under when you’re having such sensations and what will be the cost that you pay later?

When you’re in the heat of the moment, pumped up by the environment you’re in, realize what’s happening to you. You’re in a state of euphoria. While in that state your normal mode of rationalization is hijacked. You see yourself, and you become something that’s bigger than normal; you become and feel invincible.

The reason it’s so important to recognize when you find yourself in such a state is due to the actions you might commit while in that mindset. First, it’s a feeling of being on a natural high, which you want to maintain psychologically. That means you’ll engage in behaviors to sustain that feeling. You’ll even engage in behaviors that may later prove to be to your detriment. Then, when it’s time to pay the piper, you may experience insufficient funds to do so.

No matter what environment you’re in, always aspire to maintain self-control. That means, control your emotions and don’t let your emotions control you, or your actions. Doing so will allow you to maintain greater control of your life … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations? 

In a negotiation, one ploy that negotiators use is an offer that appears to be too good. At first, you may be skeptical of it and upon deeper examination adopt the adage of, one should not look a gift horse in the mouth (i.e. accept it for what it is and be thankful). Some negotiators will even disguise this ‘gift’ as a mistake they made that turns out to be to your benefit. The purpose of the ‘gift offering’ is to get you into a state of euphoria so you disconnect your normal reasoning process.

Suffice it to say, the more aware you are of controlling your emotions in a negotiation, the sharper will be your decision-making process. You’ll be less likely manipulated by the misperception of perceived power, which means you’ll be less likely to be victimized by it.

Remember, you’re always negotiating! 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d really 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/

#NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #EmotionalControl #Relationships #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #Psychology #Perception #ControlLife #Control #leadership #HowToImproveYourself #Achievement