What
do they Want?
By Michael Schoettler
If
you know what they want, and can help them get it, you are close
to getting what you want too.
In
most of my presentations someone will ask, "Can we use this
negotiation and sales stuff at home?" "You better"
I say, "Your family and friends are using the parts they know".
The
Basics
The basics of negotiation apply whenever you are buying, selling,
working with your team, or even at home dealing with your spouse,
the kids or the neighbours. It is just that with kids, you have
to remember that they are spending heaps of time thinking about
new ways to get around you. And they do lots of research with their
friends seeking new alternatives. That means your home is subject
to the same rules of buying and selling. Anytime you meet someone
who is better prepared than you, you are in trouble, again.
At
work, we don't have to be reminded to do our preparation prior to
an important negotiation. As buyers and sellers, we need to invest
the necessary time to list and prioritise our goals. Most people
realize that it is just as important to anticipate their partner's
goals as well as understanding the reasons behind these needs and
wants. It is very difficult to develop full value for both sides
unless you fully understand their goals.
Our
Team
Most of us spend more time dealing with the people on our own team
than with either our customers or suppliers. These negotiations
between team members proceed on an almost nonstop basis. And if
the atmosphere is important when we deal with our best clients,
the relations within our own team are even more critical.
Do
we invest the same level of preparation to establish what the people
who work with us need and want? I don't think so. I believe most
of us just assume that everyone on our team wants the same things
we do and never even give their personal situation a second thought.
But if we don't ask clear questions about what they have now, how
can we ever know what they still want or need?
Gallup
Q12
The Gallup Organization asked 80,000 managers and over a million
employees about the things that are important to them at work and
came up with their 12 requirements for a great work place. (Please
note the Gallup Copyright)
-
I know what is expected of me at work.
- I
have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.
- At
work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
- In
the last 7 days, I have received recognition or praise for good
work.
- My
supervisor or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.
- There
is someone at work who encourages my development.
- In
the last 6 months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.
- At
work, my opinions seem to count.
- The
mission/purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important.
- My
associates (fellow employees) are committed to doing quality work.
- I
have a best friend at work.
- This
last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.
Gallup
asks over 3 million people to score these questions (1- 5) every
year on behalf of their client's efforts to attract and retain a
top team. My short and unscientific survey said that most people
don't give high scores to even half of these questions and none
had ever worked in a team that ranked well in all 12.
How
do you think your environment would score with the Gallup team on
these fundamentals? Pick someone that is important to your results.
Are you confident you know how they will score these 12 questions?
Which areas do you need to build on to let them feel like they are
an important part of the team?
When
you know where people stand as individuals within your team, it
is possible that you will be able to get their enthusiastic support
on the next project by building in their individual needs. For some
it could be as simple as making sure they know that their opinions
count or that you care about them as a person.
Your
"Other" Team
What about that other team you belong to? Does every person in your
family feel like they are a valued member of your family team? Or,
as I am asked, "Can we use this stuff at home?" Absolutely!
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