Principled Negotiation

The idea behind Principled Negotiation is to use a methodology that removes emotions and egos from the process by agreeing to work together to address concerns rather than trick, win or beat up each other in order to achieve domination. It incorporates agreed upon objective standards to evaluate options and uses collaborative brainstorming sessions to come up with those options.

This process can work in two sided deal making or in complex multi-sided negotiations.  

Principled Negotiation is based on engaging all interested parties in a joint search for mutual gains and applying legitimate standards for assessing various options. It is a brainstorming process of finding opportunities and searching for solutions that are better for all sides.

In order to make a negotiation process predictably functional we must separate the people from the problem, brainstorm possible solutions and alternatives, and use objective criteria to judge the alternatives. We must also know your bottom line and come up with our best alternative in case we can’t arrive at a satisfactory negotiated solution. This process is all about engaging the other side in exploring mutually beneficial solutions and agreements.  This methodology not only makes the process work, it also creates agreements that are less likely to fall apart.

Navigating Agreement

The idea of navigating negotiations in order to achieve agreement and conflict resolution made a big advance in the early 1980s with the publication of a book called Getting to Yes.

Getting to Yes is the book that revolutionized the process of negotiating. It did so by articulating a methodology that can be applied to any negotiating scenario to help increase the odds of a beneficial outcome for all parties.

Getting to Yes was first published in 1981 by Roger Fisher and William Ury. It has gone through a number of editions and has spawned a slew of books and research going into more depth on various aspects of negotiation. Roger Fisher has since died. William Ury is still the most prominent expert on negotiations in the world. He is the co-founder of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School. Its Negotiation Project offers many training programs and lots of great free information through its website, blog, and emails.

This section relies heavily on the ideas and concepts first detailed in Getting to Yes and its follow on book Getting Past No. These books are both well worth reading. 

General Negotiating Criteria

The first question to ask in any negotiation is what it should accomplish. A negotiating method should provide a high probability process of accomplishing the specific goals while meeting these three general criteria:

• It should do no harm and feasibly improve the relationships
• It should be orderly and productive
• It should produce an enlightened and sustainable agreement

A person may be highly educated mentally, but if they are not educated emotionally, their fear will often stop their body from doing what it must do.

A barrier to negotiation is our natural reaction to Strike Back, Give In, or Break off.

Speak when you feel angry or threatened, and you will make the most remarkable speech you will ever regret.

When we feel threatened, we get angry, and that is uncomfortable. It takes discipline and focus to sit with negative emotions.

Suspend that reaction and regain your mental balance. Stay focused, Pause, and breath.

Don’t get mad, don’t get even. Get What You Want.

Emotional Intelligence:

How We Perceive, Evaluate, Express, and Control Emotions

Emotional intelligence is the skill of recognizing, understanding, expressing, managing, assessing, and utilizing emotions to interact with and relate to others in a positive and effective manner.

Emotionally intelligent individuals have a unique advantage. They can motivate themselves, interpret social cues, and foster strong, meaningful relationships.

Truths to Live By

To be a great leader or negotiator, you must have a reputation for integrity. Here are 20 things to keep in mind to develop integrity habits.

1) "Resilience" isn't enough. Go beyond and become "antifragile", so that each hit you absorb makes you stronger than before.

2) Good leaders look into the mirror when something doesn't go to plan.

3) Leadership is not defined by status, control, and power. It is characterized by your ability to serve others, even when uncomfortable or inconvenient.

4) Reaching your full potential may alienate you. Some will not understand or support your ambition.

5) Business is ruthless. You may choose to play fair, but you can't expect the same from others.

6) It's important to decide who you will spend time with. It's more important to decide who you won't spend time with.

7) You will encounter failures, rejections, and heartbreaks on your journey. If you aren't winning, you're learning.

8) 20% of your actions will produce 80% of your results. 20% of the people in your life will give you 80% of your opportunities. Identify the 20%.

9) A leader's job is not to master everything. A leader's job is to identify what needs to be mastered, then to find the person who is the master at it.

10) If you receive five more minutes on your deathbed, you won't use them to sign another deal. You'll hug your loved ones and tell them how much you care. Remember this.

11) Amateurs wait to feel right to take action. Professionals take action to feel right. Be a pro and take action, whether you feel like it or not.

12) Perfectionism is procrastination in disguise. Make it a habit to get that presentation, speech, plan, or product out before you feel ready.

13) Achieving your full potential is an internal as well as an external process. You will have to face your own demons.

14) As a leader, role-model the behaviors you wish to see in others. Don't expect reliability from your team before becoming reliable yourself.

15) Becoming your best version, with your health and at home, is an intentional process. Define what best is in each and evidence it daily.

16) A leader must make difficult, unpopular decisions. It's not so much about being liked as it is about being respected.

17) Success is built on consistency and hard work. You probably aren't ticking one or both of those boxes if you're not where you want to be.

18) True leaders talk less and listen more. They appreciate the importance of understanding different perspectives.

19) Business is less about making money and more about creating value. Focus on the value, and the money will follow.

20) You have no idea what you are capable of. Your full potential is far greater than you believe it to be. Don't limit yourself.

Use these lessons. And become your best self.

The Problem

Positional Bargaining

In a typical negotiation the different parties stake out an emotionally charged position, argue for it and vehemently against the other, and ultimately end up making concessions along that narrow spectrum in order to reach a compromise. This is an arbitrary and inefficient process that leads to less than optimal results. What happens is that both sides’ egos get entangled with their interests and these congeal into opposing positions. Each side then becomes committed to these hardened positions.  

Hard Bargaining

Hard bargaining ensues where one side is bent on “winning” at the expense of the other side. This zero-sum approach is usually coupled with arguments and disparaging remarks aimed at the other side and endangers any ongoing relationship. In a hard bargaining scenario neither side will budge from its position as that would be regarded as losing or giving in. These ossified positions get confused with principles and no one wants to feel, or be perceived, as abandoning their principles.

This standoff is inefficient and, worse, can end up provoking bitter feelings if one or both sides feel treated unfairly or disrespected.  That can arouse behavior looking to sabotage any tentative agreement.

Splitting the Difference

Splitting the difference is a popular strategy. Whatever is being contested just split into two or however many equal pieces as there are parties and divide it up. It seem equitable and fair but gets complicated in multi dimensional negotiations. And various sides in a negotiation rarely weight issues exactly the same. Splitting the difference in bargaining is not effective because it doesn’t address the legitimate concerns of the parties.

There is an insightful biblical tale that illustrates how splitting the difference is not optimal and uses it as a ploy to create a wise outcome. 

Judgment of Solomon

The Biblical parable of the Judgment of Solomon is recounted in 1 Kings 3:16-28. It tells of two young women who came to King Solomon for wise counsel in settling a dispute. Both women claimed to be the mother of a baby they presented.

After deliberating on the issue, Solomon called for a sword. He declared that there was only one fair solution: the child must be split in two, each woman receiving half of the child. Upon hearing this stunning verdict, the boy's true mother exclaimed, "give the baby to her, just don't kill him!" The sociopathic imposter cried out, "It shall be neither mine nor yours—divide it!"

The king had precipitously discovered the true nature of the impasse and declared the first mother as the true mother. A genuine, loving mother would rather surrender her baby to another than have it in any way hurt. He presented her the baby. King Solomon's judgment is considered an example of profound wisdom.

In this instance splitting the difference would in no way address the legitimate concerns of the parties. This parable is the origin of the phrase “splitting the baby” when making concessions between two hardened positions. In most cases narrowly focused concessions also do not address the legitimate concerns of the parties. We need to think creatively and expansively along multiple dimensions of concerns, interests, and needs in order to craft wise agreements. 

Soft Bargaining

Being nice and giving in is not the answer either. The standard tactics in soft negotiating are to eagerly make offers and concessions, overly trust the other side, try to be conciliatory, and to yield as a necessary maneuver to no order avoid confrontations. People who perceive themselves to be in positions of limited power many times employ these soft tactics. They then resent the outcome and do what they can to sabotage the results. While the concept of soft negotiating emphasizes the importance of building and maintaining a relationship, resentment and passive aggressive behavior will threaten to undo any agreement that is reached.

Most people see their choices in negotiating strategies as between these two styles of positional bargaining: soft and hard. Both run the risk of producing a careless, unsystematic, unsustainable, inefficient agreement. Don’t bargain over positions.

Strategy and Negotiation in the Face of Complexity

The Stacey Matrix

The Stacey Matrix is an essential tool for understanding how to act and make decisions differently under varying degrees of complexity and how to avoid chaos. The following is its essence.

The matrix, named after the British scholar Ralph Douglas Stacey, was created to help with decision-making in complex and uncertain situations. Its basis is two dimensions: certainty and agreement.

Certainty refers to the degree to which we can predict what will happen and know the consequences of our actions. Agreement refers to the extent to which different stakeholders think alike and align their interests and judgments. Combining these two dimensions produces four different situations, each of which requires a different approach to decision-making.

SIMPLE (High Certainty AND High Agreement)

When there is high certainty and agreement, decision-making is straightforward. You can rely on rationality and best practices to make the best or optimal decision.

COMPLICATED (Medium Certainty AND Medium Agreement)

Judgment and politics come into the equation when things become more complicated due to less certainty and less agreement. Decisions are more negotiated than deduced.

COMPLEX (Low Certainty OR Low Agreement)

We enter the realm of complexity when there is either low certainty or low agreement. Here, we can't anticipate or agree on what will happen. As a result, a more experimental, trial-and-error-based approach to decision-making is needed.

CHAOTIC (Low Certainty AND Low Agreement)

A situation is chaotic when there is both low certainty and low agreement. This is where no sensible conclusion can be drawn about how to move forward best. To avoid anarchy, the best approach is to focus on stability, on increasing certainty and/or agreement so that you cross the "Edge of Chaos" and return to the realm of complexity.

This matrix's key lesson is that you should be aware of the complexity of your situation and adapt your decision-making approach to it.

90% of people lack critical thinking skills.

It's becoming more rare and valuable every day.

But what exactly is critical thinking?

In simple terms, it means:

• Closely analyzing information to form a judgment.

• Questioning what you see, hear, and read.

• Not just accepting things at face value.

Why is this important?

Because it helps you:

• Make better decisions.

• Solve problems more effectively.

• Avoid being misled by false information.

In a world full of noise and distractions,

critical thinking helps you cut through the clutter.

So, how can you improve your critical thinking?

➟ Start by asking the right questions.

Critical thinking is a skill that takes practice.

But it pays off in every aspect of life.

So, the next time you encounter information,

don't just accept it.

Question it. Analyze it. Think critically about it.

The quality of your thinking determines

the quality of your life.

The Alternative

A sustainable agreement must address all parties’ interests so that no one feels short changed and thus apt to disrupt or sabotage the deal. We need a process that produces wise agreements, efficiently and amicably and that is what the principled negotiation process delivers. 

The Process: PIANO

A straightforward method of negotiating on the merits of legitimate interests can be defined in five strategic steps. These five elements can be employed in any situation to strike a deal or resolve conflict. Each stage in the method addresses an element of the negotiation process. To help make the stages memorable I have created an acronym PIANO where each letter stands for an element in the process:

People: Detach the individuals from the problem.

Interests: Emphasize interests, not postures.

Alternatives: Invent multiple options looking for mutual gains.

Norms: Insist that the result be based on objective standards.

Option: Have a clear idea of your course if you cannot strike an acceptable deal.

People: Detach the individuals from the problem

The first element addresses the fact that we are emotional beings. Emotions and egos tend to get mixed up with the objective merits of the issue we are attempting to resolve. We risk getting frustrated and angry and expressing volatile feelings aimed at wounding the other side. The other sides are susceptible to the same dynamic and, if not checked, this scenario can escalate quickly. Wounding words are unproductive and cannot be recalled. The process can be derailed before any real issues are even discussed let alone alternative solutions explored.

If we begin by separating the people from the problem, and make this intention clearly stated, then all sides can focus on the issues and problems and not on seeing the other negotiators as the embodiment of those problems. 

Ad Hominem  

This is not a new or novel idea and was known as a trap to the ancients. Classical logic and rhetoric are concerned with persuasion through constructing and communicating proper and correct arguments. Logical fallacies identify a group of faulty arguments to be aware of so we don’t fall into the trap of using them or falling for them.  

One of the most famous is the “argumentum ad hominem” or ad hominem for short.  Ad hominem is Latin for "to the person".  It represents a negotiating pitfall in which an argument is countered by attacking the character, motive, or other attribute of the person making the argument rather than attacking the substance of the argument itself.  

”An ad hominem attack against an individual, not against an idea, is highly flattering. It indicates that the person does not have anything intelligent to say about your message.”   

- Nassim Nicholas Taleb   

Interests: Emphasize interests, not postures

The second element is about unbundling positional posturing from genuine interests. The object of negotiation is to come to an understanding that satisfies and addresses the legitimate interests of the parties. Adopting a negotiating posture often clouds the underlying interest of what is really important to you and compromising between postured positions is not likely to optimally address what you really are after. Don’t limit your options in this way. Focus on interests.

Alternatives: Invent multiple options looking for mutual gains

The third element relates to crafting optimal solutions. The idea is to take this process off-line and brainstorm creative alternatives in a stress free environment. This is the step where free reign creativity comes in. Check out the section on Creativity and Brainstorming later in this book. The goal here is to brainstorm lots of possibilities that promote shared interests and solve common concerns.

This should not be done on the fly or improvised during face-to-face negotiations. Trying to decide or frame options in the presence of an adversary narrows your field of vision of potential alternatives. Pressure and having a lot at stake inhibits creativity. Before trying to reach an agreement, invent options for mutual gain. Do this during a brainstorming session when you plan and prepare for your negotiation. 

Norms: Insist that the result be based on objective standards

Insisting on using objective standards is the fourth element. Agreeing to use a fair standard that is independent of either party is a critical part of overcoming the intransigence of arbitrary positions and posturing. Criteria like market value or appraised value, expert opinion, or law is a way for both sides to defer to a fair solution. Identifying and agreeing on such criteria allows both parties the opportunity to impartially and objectively search among alternatives for the best outcome. Use objective criteria to assess the pros and cons of various outcomes and judge their value in such terms.

If this is executed well, neither party will feel like they give in to the other. Having agreed upon objective criteria to judge the outcome also allows parties to save face and to communicate the results to their constituencies that may be more suspect of the outcome since they were not involved directly in the negotiations. This helps agreements get ratified and also helps make them more sustainable in the long run.

Agreeing on an objective standard to judge the proposals can be a significant step toward finding a workable solution. Working together and agreeing on criteria fosters a sense of common goals and trust in the outcome. 

Options: Have a clear idea of your course if you cannot strike an acceptable deal

You need a credible and feasible Plan B. This process, however rational and methodical, is not a magic formula. Not all deals or negotiations end up with an acceptable solution for a variety of reasons.  It could be because of belligerence or intransience, complexity or terms. Sometimes the parties remain too far apart. We are not trying to achieve a deal or negotiated solution at any cost.

The fifth element is about knowing what your limits are and not going beyond them. A negotiation can become seductive and we must protect ourselves from over-reaching. The heady atmosphere of an auction is an example of a situation where people may lose themselves in the moment and over bid. Auctioneers rely on and cultivate this behavior.

We need to be able to resist this siren’s call. The best way to do this is to have prepared our bottom line. Like the disciplined gambler in the Kenny Rodger’s song, we need to know when to fold ‘em and when to walk away.

We lose all our leverage if we are not ready to abandon a deal if it looks like we are not going to find a suitable solution. This means we have to have a planned alternative to an agreement. We must plan what the alternative plan is and be willing to take it. 

Steve Jobs famously said, "People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundreds of other good ideas that exist. You have to pick carefully."

When To Say No

For business leaders and their colleagues, one of the most challenging skills is learning how to say "no."

Here's how to master the art of when to say No:

The power to say 'no' is a significant strength.

Here's your comprehensive guide to reclaiming your time:

Our energy is often depleted when we agree to everything, leading to potential burnout.

Establish boundaries without damaging relationships, allowing you to focus on what truly matters.

Here are four decision-making models to help you decide when to say no:

1. The Eisenhower Matrix

   • Prioritize tasks with this simple model.

   • Say no to non-urgent and unimportant tasks.

2. The 80/20 Rule

   • Recognize that 20% of your effort generates 80% of your results.

   • Say no to tasks that don't contribute significantly to your outputs.

3. The 2-Minute Rule

   • Break tasks into 2-minute segments.

   • Say no to tasks that can't be completed in 2 minutes.

4. Warren Buffett's 25/5 Rule

   • Identify your top 25 tasks by importance.

   • Say no to the 20 tasks not in your top 5.

Knowing when to say no is crucial, but it's also crucial to learn how to say no gracefully.

Here are eight strategies for saying no:

1. Discuss Existing Commitments

   • "I'd love to help, but I have prior commitments that I need to prioritize."

2. Offer Constructive Feedback

   • "I'm unable to participate, but I'd be happy to provide feedback or guidance if that would be helpful."

3. Set Boundaries Without Excessive Detail

   • "I've reached my limit for taking on new projects at the moment, but I appreciate you thinking of me."

4. Politely Decline with Gratitude

   • "Thank you so much for considering me, but I'm unable to take on any additional responsibilities right now."

5. Be Concise and Respectful

   • "I'm afraid I have to decline, but I truly appreciate the opportunity."

6. Express Genuine Regret

   • "I'm really sorry, but I won't be able to commit to this. I hope you understand."

7. Offer Alternative Support

   • "While I can't participate directly, I can offer assistance in other ways, such as sharing resources or connecting you with someone who can help."

8. Acknowledge the Request's Value

   • "Your project sounds amazing, but unfortunately, I'm not able to contribute at this time."

Four Stages  

The process takes place in four stages: analysis, planning, discussion and closing. In each stage all five elements come into play in different ways.  

Analysis

During the analysis stage you are attempting to assess the situation. This means gathering information, organizing it, and thinking about it. You consider all the differing perceptions, hostile emotions, and unclear communications flailing about. In order to be successful, you must really understand your interests and goals, as well as those of the other side.

This is the stage where you parse the problem. Unbundle the various components of the problem so you can consider them and reassemble them into possible solutions. List options already discussed and on the table, as well as any criteria that have been suggested as a potential basis for agreement. 

Planning

During the planning stage you generate ideas relative to the five elements in play and decide what actions to take. How are you going to handle the people issues? What are the most important of your issues? How are they ranked? What are some realistic objectives? This is the time to generate more alternatives and criteria for deciding among them.  It is also the time to detail your bottom line where you will discontinue negotiating and move on to your next best option. 

Discussion

During this stage the parties communicate back and forth searching for agreement. Again, the five elements are the best way to structure these communications. Problems concerning people, such as feelings of frustration or anger and differences in point of view need to be addressed.

Difficulties in communications can be acknowledged and talked about. Each side should develop an understanding of the interests of the other side. At that point, both can jointly generate and review options with an eye toward promoting mutual advantages. This is the time to seek agreement on standards for resolving conflicting interests.

This is an iterative stage in the process. This means based on feedback from the discussions and the proposals that are floated, the parties can go back and reassess and refine their positions moving closer to a solution.  

Closing

When agreement is reached, waste no time in drafting any formal documents or contracts and execute them ASAP. Deals can stall and fall apart surprisingly fast if the momentum to close is not urgently pursued.

That outlines the process and the stages of negotiation. Now let’s spend some time looking at the process of creativity and how to think creatively to create Alternatives that can then be explored. 

5 Lessons Can You Apply from FBI Negotiation Strategies

The FBI uses a negotiation framework applicable in many spheres. The techniques are helpful everywhere you need to negotiate, e.g., asking for a raise, buying and selling real estate, buying a car, or whatever you imagine else you imagine negotiating.

1. Getting the Other Side's Attention

Getting your counterpart's attention is the first hurdle in any negotiation. People are busy and preoccupied with many things. It is therefore challenging to get their undivided attention. No matter what form of negotiation you are in, if your counterpart is disengaged, you cannot advance. So, how can you get the other person's attention?

People usually search for a "yes" to open the conversation. For example, think about someone attempting to sell you a course on professional development. "Do you want to grow and become an expert in your area?" is a typical query. However, even if you say "yes," you will still ignore the salesperson. You would most likely answer no and be more interested in what the salesperson has to say if they asked: "Do you want to become irrelevant in your business?"

People give ten times more energy to avoid losing something than they give to gain something.

2. Use the Power of Mirrors

The act of negotiating is a journey of discovery, not a conflict. The goal is to gather as much information as you can.

A common misconception is that negotiating involves persuasion or convincing. This idea is incorrectly understood. Contrary to popular belief, effective negotiators are excellent listeners who encourage the opposing side to provide as much information as possible. But how do you persuade the opposition to engage? Mirror them.

Repeat the last three (or the most important one to three) words they just stated. We are drawn to what is similar and avoid what is unfamiliar. The skill of implying likeness, known as mirroring, promotes bonding.

When you reflect someone's behavior, they will divulge more information, which is to your advantage.

3. Ask Calibrated Questions

The secret to succeeding in negotiations is to ask the correct questions. A skilled negotiator knows when and how to raise issues that can alter the direction of the conversation. Finding the pertinent question is frequently more important than finding the perfect response.

It's better to ask, "What causes you to think that? " rather than, "Why," which some people find unsettling and puts them in a defensive mindset.

What- and how-questions spark dialogue and provoke thought in the other person. The other side is forced to think, and occasionally bid against themselves, by a well-crafted inquiry. Here are a few instances:

· How do I go about doing it?

· What can you do concerning this?

· What prevents you from doing this?

· How do you support your arguments?

A sensible rule is to refrain from retaliating when verbally attacked. Instead, use a well-placed question to disarm your opposite number.

4. Empathize

People open up during negotiations when they feel understood, which is another crucial factor. Empathy is powerful. But be careful; understanding what led your adversary to that position is more important than agreeing with it.

Empathy does not require you to share the other person's viewpoints.

Also, don't confuse empathy with manipulation. It's about genuinely understanding the other side. Make sure your counterpart feels you understand them.

5. Don't Accept Compromises

I used to believe that the ideal result of negotiating was a win-win. I thought that was equitable for both parties, but I missed something. In win-win negotiations, both parties make concessions to reach an agreement, which regrettably leads to mediocrity. No deal is often preferable to a compromise.

It's frequently preferable to reach no agreement than to get substandard results.

This example illustrates what compromises can lead to:

A wife requests that her husband don black shoes with his suit. Her husband, however, prefers brown shoes. What do they then do? They make a deal. They reach an agreement. He wears one black and one brown. Is this the ideal result? No! That's the worst result that could happen. Both shoes, brown or black, would be preferable to the compromise of one each.

Summary

Negotiation requires preparation, attention, and emotional intelligence. However, you can follow a standard technique and yet get different results. The ability to communicate with your counterpart in their language is crucial.

We are frequently told to treat people how we want to be treated, and in many cases, this is proper ethics. In negotiations, however, treat people how they would like to be treated.

How To Negotiate

Negotiation is a high ROI skill.

Negotiation is a process by which two or more people (or groups) resolve an issue or arrive at a better outcome through compromise.

Negotiation is a way to avoid arguing and come to an agreement that satisfies all parties.

While there are many approaches to negotiation tactics, there are common steps that most effective negotiations follow to achieve a successful outcome.

Check out the downloadable cheat sheet below for 4 Top university negotiation Models.

Negotiation Tactics and Strategies

There are several approaches you can consider when it comes to negotiation strategies.

Negotiation is the act of working with one or more stakeholders to find an equitable solution to a situation.

The goal of negotiation is to secure the best possible advantage while making concessions that motivate the other party to agree to the terms, striking a delicate balance.

Successful negotiations and their completion require good decision-making skills, the ability to listen more than you speak, and the ability to recognize when an offer is good or bad.

69% of employees state they want more feedback.

Steal this Ultimate Feedback Guide to learn how to give it better.

Exceptional leaders all know one thing:

Feedback is like gold to a business.

When given correctly (and acted upon)

It can change the whole trajectory of your business.

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Steal this cheat sheet to give better feedback.

Here’s a sneak peak:

1. SBI Model: Straight to the point and actionable.

2. COIN Model: Grow relationships while you lead.

3. GROW Model: Put feedback into actionable plans.

4. CEDAR Model: Dive deep into complex issues.

Harvard’s top 5 tips for giving feedback:

1. Lead with empathy

2. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

3. Be specific and impactful

4. Encourage open dialogue

5. Embrace a forward-looking mindset

+ 9 actionable tips on how to give feedback in meetings

Don’t let poor communication be your bottleneck.

Save this cheat sheet and act fast.

The 9 Skills of a Great Consultant

Good consultants demonstrate skills that offer concrete and specific information to help solve a wide range of problems, from operational inefficiencies to strategic planning, for a business.

Consulting skills encompass a wide array of competencies that consultants utilize to develop groundbreaking and efficient solutions for their clients, thereby emphasizing the invaluable nature of their expertise.

Proficient consultants possess the ability to deeply comprehend and address their client's needs, thereby recommending the most effective solutions that align with the client's goals and aspirations.

Creativity and Brainstorming  

Negotiating is a creative act. To navigate conflict and strike a sustainable win-win agreement you need to think creatively. Creative thinking is a skill that can be developed and improved. Creativity is not just for artists and musicians.  

Commercial enterprises need to create new products and services that have value for customers. Innovation and invention require novel ideas. Businesses need to solve problems and overcome obstacles. All solutions to problems start as ideas. These are all creative endeavors.  

Creativity is usually thought of as an innate talent that people are born with. People are either creative or not, the thinking goes. Creativity is shrouded in mystery and the creative process in mystical mumbo jumbo.  

There is the romantic idea of the lone creative genius who has a Eureka moment and something entirely new pops into their head. But creativity is actually synthetic, meaning it is a process that takes known ideas and combines them in a novel way. And this type of creativity can be learned, developed and improved upon.  

Creativity is a name for the process of putting concepts and ideas together in new ways. It is a form of systems thinking. It has to do with pattern recognition and pattern forming. It has to do with taking ideas that work in one domain and applying them in another. This is how creativity performs the synthesis of using ideas and concepts as raw material and extruding new ideas.  

Sir Isaac Newton who invented calculus and physics, two giant ideas that revolutionized our world, said “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants."  

One of the prerequisites of being creative is to remain curious and devour information from a wide range of subjects. Creativity is either combining seemingly disparate concepts in a new way or repurposing an idea from one application to another. This is called lateral thinking.  

The concept of lateral thinking is related to creativity and problem solving. Lateral thinking is a concept introduced by Edward de Bono. He has written extensively on the subject since the 1960s. Lateral thinking is an approach to creativity and solving problems that is contrasted with step-by-step logic.  

In our current world, we have many newly developed platforms and technologies that can be reassembled in novel ways. Thinking about them laterally and figuring out how they can be used to solve problems is a strategy to foster innovation and invention.  

Creativity is combining things in novel ways. Arthur Koestler thought of this combinatorial nature of creativity as “bisociation”. Routine skills of thinking operate on one plane of thought. A creative act of thinking resides in the collision of two or more thought planes that, out of habit, have not been put together before. And it takes imaginative effort.  

Humor works in this way. It is a process of putting two things together in a way you weren’t expecting. Creativity works in similar ways in art, science, and business.  

Being creative and cultivating creativity is not just for artists. Developing a working knowledge of the creative process is fundamental to being successful. Creativity is critical in all aspects of business. It is a fundamental part of problem solving and conflict resolution. Marketing, Branding, Advertising depend on creative approaches. Brainstorming alternatives in planning negotiations relies on creativity. Product and services and their continuous improvement are creative processes. Deal making is always creative. Leadership is an art; it is creative. Business is a creative act.  

Creativity is combinatorial and innovation is collaborative. Getting a diverse group of people to collaborate towards goals that require creative solutions is the essence of managing and leading. You need to get people from different disciplines with different expertise to contribute as peers to an outcome that isn’t known in advance. You have to be open to ideas regardless of their origin and create the right environment for them to flourish.  

Ideas can come from anywhere. Have humility in the face of creativity. Senior people in companies don’t have a monopoly on ideas. Neither does long experience. In fact, experience can hinder creative thinking by limiting possibilities because “it’s always been done this way”. Encourage ideas from all staff. You need all the ideas you can get.  

Cultivate a creative environment. Another quote from Ogilvy is helpful here: “Kill grimness with laughter. Maintain an atmosphere of informality. Encourage exuberance. Get rid of sad dogs who spread gloom.”  

There is a tension between action and contemplation in management and leadership. Being decisive is a key attribute of a good leader. But it is equally important to think and plan strategically and that takes time and contemplation. We have to be thoughtful and disciplined not to let our tendency to act all the time get in the way of giving ourselves time for deeper uninterrupted thought.  

John Cleese of Monty Python fame has a great lecture on creativity. Here is the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qby0ed4aVpo  

This lecture is well worth listening to. Mr. Cleese starts with an anecdote about having lost some pieces of writing and then ending up rewriting them from memory, only better than the original. The take-away here is about allowing ourselves the time to let ideas steep and allow the unconscious to work. “I was embarrassed that I lost our work, so I rewrote it from memory, straight off in a hurry. Then I discovered the original and the one I’d done very quickly was better than the original. I didn’t spend any time thinking about it, so how could it be better than the original?”  

“The only thing I could think was that my unconscious had been working on the sketch and improving it ever since I wrote it. I began to see a lot of my best work seemed to come as a result of my unconscious working on things when I wasn’t really attending to them.”  

“I’m not talking about the Freudian unconscious but the intelligent unconscious. We can’t control our unconscious but we can look to how we can create the circumstance in which it becomes easier for us to work with our unconscious.”  

Mr. Cleese eloquently acknowledges that ideas and breakthroughs percolate in the deep recesses of our brain. He then talks about two key, practical traits of truly creative people by studying creativity in architects.  

"…creative architects knew how to play. They could get immersed in a problem. It was almost childlike, like when a child gets utterly absorbed in a problem. The second thing was that they deferred making decisions as long as they could. This is surprising.”  

“If you have a decision to make, what is the single most important question to ask yourself? I believe it’s ‘when does this decision have to be made’? When most of us have a problem that’s a little bit unresolved, we’re a little bit uncomfortable. We want to resolve it. The creative architects had this tolerance for this discomfort we all feel when we leave things unresolved.”  

“Why would those two things be importance? The playfulness is because in that moment of childlike play, you’re much more in touch with your unconscious. The second is that when you defer decisions as long as possible, it’s giving your unconscious the maximum amount of time to come up with something.”  

He goes on to talk about fast and slow thinking.  

“Guy Claxton, the author of Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind, says there are two kinds of thinking: one dependent on reason and logic, and one less purposeful, more playful, leisurely and dreamy. In this mode, we are mulling things over, almost in a meditative fashion, we are pondering a problem versus earnestly trying to solve it. He says allowing the mind time to meander is not a luxury but a necessity. You need the tortoise mind, such as Einstein described, as much as you need the hare brain.”  

“The hare brain loves clarity; it wants everything to be expressed in a very simple, straightforward clear way. Tortoise mind doesn’t expect clarity; it doesn’t know where the illumination is going to come from. The language of the unconscious is images. That also means a lot of times when you’re being very creative you can feel very confused. You don’t know where you are or where you’re going. And you can tolerate that and continue to defer the decision. Because you’re taking your time in tortoise mind, if you have a question, you’re much more likely to get interested in the question.”  

“One other important distinction between the two is that hare brain always treats perception as not being important, when in fact how you perceive things is enormously dependent on your emotional state. And when you’re more relaxed and focused, you’re much more likely to be more aware.”  

“Now I want to explain about getting into tortoise mind. The enemies of tortoise mind are anxiety and interruptions. The moment you get anxious or interrupted you go back into hare brain. What you have to do is give yourself a place where you’re not going to be interrupted for about an hour, because it takes time for your thoughts to settle. You have to create boundaries of space and then you have to create boundaries of time. You need to give yourself the time to let these ideas come up because it deals in the confusion and images and very subtle things.”  

“That’s why when you start on something that’s fundamentally creative, don’t bring the old critical mind in too quickly. Let the thing fall, find out what it is. And then, by all means, bring hare brain in to evaluate them, because you’ll get ideas, but not all of them will be good.”  

Creativity is not the exclusive domain of some “creative class.” It is something we all need to be aware of developing and continuously improving so we can negotiate better and make better decisions based on more compelling visions.   

In a world fixated on productivity hacks and efficiency, it’s crucial to remember the unique nature of the human brain, which is far from being a mere machine.

Scientific evidence underscores the significance of both analytical and creative thinking, the two sides of the brain, in shaping our overall success and well-being, empowering us with a holistic cognitive approach.

Let’s embark on a journey to challenge conventional wisdom with 7 antithetical productivity rules that can revolutionize your cognitive abilities, inspiring you to think beyond the norm.

Incredible numbers cited by the Harvard Business Review!

According to HBR, 70% to 90% of innovations fail!

Business Executives often name innovation as their highest priority.

Yet, it's important to acknowledge that they also often find it to be one of their most significant challenges, a struggle shared by many.

Despite large investments in research and development, big data curation, and even AI, there's little evidence that these numbers are improving.

In this Cheat Sheet, we examine six models that can help organizations and leaders innovate faster and more effectively.

The six models we explore are:

1/ Gap Analysis

2/ The Value-Complexity Matrix

3/ Design Sprint by Google

4/ Lean UX Cycle

5/ The 6 Thinking Hats by Edward de Bono

6/ The Kano Model

9 Visuals That Will Change How You Think

Shape your future by shifting your perspective.

Shout out to Liz Fosslien for this fantastic collection.

1) Be careful not to judge; we don't all start in the same place.

2) Remember, what feels hard today will feel easy in a few years.

3) Explain the "why," not just the "how" to skyrocket someone's learning.

4) Failure and success aren't opposites; failure is a part of success.

5) We must combine intention with action to achieve our goals.

6) When you feel overwhelmed, narrow your focus to the very next step.

7) You can still succeed, even if you think the odds are against you.

8) If you step "outside of the box," you can "become a star".

9) Don't let a bad day ruin all the progress you've made to date.

Change your mindset to change your life with these nine powerful lessons.

85% of your career success is from soft skills.

(Harvard University states.)

Hard skills and qualifications could get you through the door.

But these soft skills will help you climb the corporate ladder.

Level up these eight soft skills to skyrocket your career:

1. Adaptability

↳ Being flexible to change and aware of new trends.

Why it’s essential: The business environment isn’t static, so you shouldn’t be.

Adaptability shows resilience and keeps you up with change.

2. Emotional Intelligence

↳ Seek to understand others better and develop self-awareness.

Why it’s essential: Emotionally intelligent people understand their colleagues

And can work together better.

3. Communication

↳ Deliver messages with impact and clarity

Why it’s essential: Errors are reduced, there is no ambiguity, and trust is built faster.

4. Influence

↳ Motivate and inspire your team with your actions.

Why it’s crucial: People leading with actions command respect.

It sets the pace for your team.

5. Critical Thinking

↳ Diagnose, understand, and resolve complex problems

Why it’s important: More value is created by effective problem-solving.

6. Continuous Learning

↳ Commit to lifelong growth both personally and professionally.

Why it’s essential: Upgrading your skills continuously keeps you in the competition.

7. Teamwork

↳ Build more together.

Why it’s important: A diverse group produces innovative solutions and shares their success.

8. Time Management

↳ Focus on prioritization and avoid getting overwhelmed.

Why it’s essential: It reduces stress and improves performance, increasing recognition and satisfaction.

Work on these skills today,

And make this the year you get that promotion.

Download my guide to effective emails.

The 4 pillars of Emotional Intelligence (and books to master them):

1. Self - Awareness

2. Self - Regulation

3. Social Skills

4. Relationship Management