I dedicate this posting to the art of negotiating. Not until recently did I realize how often do we need to utilize this skill and how difficult it is to actually be successful at it. Everyday in our lives, we have situations where we are faced with someone who doesn't think like us and that a mutual decision needs to be made. Whether the case is to get a company to offer you a better compensation package, or to get your spouse to agree on a DVD rental, the list is endless. How can we be able to win the concession without getting into a nasty fight or damaging the relationship? No, of course, I do not know the answer. Thank goodness there are experts on this very subject.
Most people might think that in order to win at a table of negotiations, you have to be good at persuasion and good at influencing others to accept your opinion and choice. Or you can be so powerful that you can bully the other party in accepting your terms. I have been reading Herb Cohen's Negotiate This!, a self-improvement book on tips on how to be successful at negotiating. Among all his valuable insights, I took this piece of advice to heart-- "Always view yourself as a problem-solver, " he said, "and search for creative alternatives to satisfy both sides' real concerns and interests." In any situation, I learned that there is always more than just a black and white solution. It's never only my way OR your way. It can be a combination of both your way AND my way. The trick is to find the right combination and develop from there. And that is what I believe the art of negotiating is all about.
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