One of the biggest mistakes I see in negotiations is lack of preparation, even when it’s freakishly simple to prepare.
Often, my government and corporate clients ask me to assess the negotiation performance of their people. These participants have everything it takes to be successful in the assessments – they’ve attended my training workshops, they’ve had the chance to practise their new skills, and they have opportunities to seek my guidance before the assessment.
And, most helpfully, they have all the templates I’ve developed to help them prepare thoroughly.
Do they use them?
Often not.
Obviously the stakes aren’t as high in an assessment compared with a real-life negotiation, but the participants know that their managers get a copy of my feedback!! That should drive some desire to prepare well.
Why don’t they prepare?
I think it’s a combination of underestimating the complexity of even the simplest of cases and overestimating their ability to manage it.
What is encouraging is that attendees rarely make the same mistake twice. Having experienced the difference that solid preparation can make (and having experienced the polite but pointed reprimand they get from me), they always do better in subsequent assessments.
Benjamin Franklin said: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”. For negotiators who don’t learn from their mistakes, this quote of his is also apt: “We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid”.
I’m going heavy on the alliteration here to make a point … People, Please do your Prep Properly. It makes a world of difference to your success.
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I help leaders use constructive conflict and negotiation skills to be more effective. If this post resonates, get in touch.