Developing Authentic Listening Skills
The act of listening is a skill that is frequently overlooked, however, it is of utmost importance in all professions. Active listening is a skill we should develop not because of what people can offer us, but because we owe it to everyone. In current times, we have been starved of the genuine act of listening. With the fast-paced nature of life, we make up the excuse that we don’t... Read more
3-D Negotiations
When you look beyond the win-win and win-lose mentality of negotiation, it becomes clear there are multiple dimensions that make up the skillset. In order to be successful in the practice of negotiation, it is necessary to understand what goes on beneath the surface. David Lax, co-author of 3-D Negotiation explains that it is very common for people to spend all of their time and energy focusing on surface-level negotiation... Read more
Influence in Negotiations
Stalling for Time is the riveting memoir of Gary Noesner, the first chief of the FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit. Hostage negotiation was a budding discipline when Noesner was starting his career with the FBI in 1972 and was something he was interested in learning and wanted to “become good at.” For Noesner, negotiation became a skill to be honed and developed over his 30-year career and he worked to learn... Read more
Negotiating International Trade
When approaching the topic of negotiation, it can be challenging to understand how it is practically applied to international trade. Not only do negotiation and politics coincide, negotiation lays the framework for much of what goes on behind the scenes of international trade deals. On the March 4th episode of Negotiations Ninja, Hampton Dowling, Managing Partner of The HCB Group, explains how negotiation is present within all political activity. “Negotiation... Read more
Developing Negotiation Skills
As an entrepreneur, you may be asking yourself the question, “Why should I develop my negotiation skillset?” This is a fair question, especially with the constant focus on scale and growth the entrepreneurial mindset demands. Although, as Samuel Dinnar explains in this episode of Negotiations Ninja, the ability to negotiate is an essential tool in an entrepreneur's toolbox. In fact, negotiation is present in all aspects of entrepreneurship. To put... Read more
Effective Decision Making
Effective decision-making is not always an easy task. Throughout the course of our personal and professional lives, I’m sure we’ve all made decisions we regret, but, when we understand what drives our decision-making framework, we will be able to confidently move forward and make progress. Annie Duke, a World Series of Poker champion turned business consultant, believes it is essential to get rid of our constant need for certainty and... Read more
The Psychology of Confidence
Many people are afraid of negotiating because they have this perception that they don’t have the ability required to negotiate. They believe negotiation is a skillset people are simply born with. However, the reality is that negotiation is a skill you can learn and develop as a framework and a lifestyle. Mark Davis, a confidence psychology negotiation coach, explains that one of the biggest obstacles we need to overcome when... Read more
Influence in Negotiations
Stalling for Time is the riveting memoire of Gary Noesner, the first chief of the FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit. Hostage negotiation was a budding discipline when Noesner was starting his career with the FBI in 1972 and was something he was interested in learning and wanted to “become good at.” For Noesner, negotiation became a skill to be honed and developed over his 30-year career and he worked to learn... Read more
Chinese Etiquette and Negotiation
Respect and etiquette are a great determinant of success within negotiations. No one wants to negotiate with us if we are ignorant, removed, or distant from our surroundings. As soon as we leave the familiarity of North America, new cultures, traditions, languages, and norms emerge. Throughout my travels in the world of procurement, I’ve at times found myself surrounded by new cultures, business etiquette, and ways of doing things. Being... Read more
The Computers Are Coming for You
The computers are taking our jobs! I say that tongue in cheek, but it’s not untrue. The speed and pace at which digital procurement and artificial intelligence is moving is unbelievable. I brought Hugo Evans onto a recent episode of Negotiations Ninja to answer some questions about digital procurement and artificial intelligence. Hugo is a brilliant man that’s very in touch with what’s going on in A.I. and digital procurement.... Read more