You Can Negotiate Anything

By Herb Cohen

Chptr -01 - What is Negotiation
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* real world is a giant negotiating table
* negotiation - a field of knowledge and endeavor that focuses on gaining the favor of people from whom we want things
* negotiation - use of information and power to affect behavior within a web of tension
* some of the most frequent and frusturating negotiations occur within the family
* you constantly negotiate at work
* there are many people with technical expertise who lack the negotiating skill needed to sell their ideas
* a wise boss always negotiates for the commitment of his employees - discussion of malicious obedience - when an employee complies literally to the boss and doesn't do what needs to be done - you never want an employee to do exactly what you tell them to do, you want them to occassionally do what you don't tell them to do, often what you can't tell them to do because many problems can't be anticipated
* three elements to negotiation
- information: the other side knows more about you and your needs then you know about them
- time: the other side doesn't seem to be under the same kind of organizational pressure, time constraint or deadlines
- power: the other side always seems to have more power and authority than you think you have
*** you must believe that you have the power - power is the capacity or ability to get things done
* ability to negotiate determines whether you can or can't influence your environment - it's analyzing information, time, and power to affect behavior - the meeting of needs (yours and others) to make things happen the way you want them to happen

Chptr 2 - Almost Everything is Negotiable
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* information, time, and perceived power is the difference between satisfaction and frusturation
* example is a broken refrigerator - goto Sears; information - you don't know information about the salesperson, as much about the competition, or such things as delivery - clearly information is in the salesperson's domain; time - your fridge is broken and therefore the balance of time is in the salesperson's domain; power - precedent that you can't negotiate becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy (hint - don't act as though your limited experience represents universal truths - it doesn't)
* as a negotiator you need to take some risk and break free from precendents - challenge your assumptions - raise your aspirations - and increase your expectations
* power of legitimacy - is the power derived from a perceived or imagined authority - often authority that's represented by something inanimate, such as a sign, a form, or a printed document - used example of the sign that signs what time check-out is at a hotel
* the legal people won't approve of the change
* should you negotiate?
- are you comfortable with the situation
- will negotiating meet your needs
- is the expenditure of time and energy worth the benefit
* pick and choose opportunities based upon needs - you play a much greater role in shaping your life and improving your lifestyle