February 29, 2012

Start with No!

Hi! Welcome back.  I’d like to begin this blog post with a shout out to two of my most frequent readers, my friend George in D.C. and my Ex-neighbor Gerrie in Southern Indiana.  Although you two haven’t posted comments to my blog directly I see your comments and encouragement on Facebook and I appreciate it greatly.
I’ve been looking at the topic of Leadership lately and will post more items in the future if I believe the insights would be beneficial to you.  I get my material for this blog by reading various books and articles and today I’d like to start a short series on the book “Start with No! by Jim Camp. 
I found this book at my local library the New Albany (Indiana) Public Library which if you haven’t been to your local library lately I would highly recommend you schedule a visit.  I can think of no better place to immerse yourself into any subject or topic you are currently interested in then by going to your local library.  I know for me Ms. Paulette Gibbs and her staff at the New Albany Public Library have been a great help anytime I ask for guidance in selecting a book or assistance in looking for an answer to my question.
Start with No! is actually a book about the art of negotiating but while I was reading it I thought of my current project which is establishing my organizational and staff development consulting business which I call Yurway Coaching Consultants.  In the next few posts I’ll list and describe briefly Mr. Camp Thirty Three rules.  I have no idea why he settled on the number thirty three but I think you’ll soon see why I believe they are insightful for both negotiations and starting a small business.
Here are the first five rules in the order that he describes them:
·         Every negotiation is an agreement between two or more parties with all parties having the right to veto-the right to say “no”.
·         Your job is not to be liked.  It is to be respected and effective.
·         Results are not valid goals.
·         Money has nothing to do with a valid mission and purpose.
·         Never, enter a negotiation-never make a phone call-without a valid agenda.
Mr. Camp disputes the idea of win-win negotiations in his first rule “everyone has the right to say no” I believe he is stating the obvious that no matter what you are negotiating either party can walk away at anytime and to be successful you must take the time to find out what the real needs of your adversary in the negotiations are and clarify to them what your needs are.  That is the true way to “win, win” negotiations not some watered down solution that everybody agrees to but nobody wants, like say “Obamacare”.
His second rule dovetails off the first, your objective in an negotiation is not to be liked but respected and effective working to obtain a goal that will not only satisfy your needs but also that of your adversary in the negotiations.  You’ll note I’m saying adversary and not colleague for instance that is the tone of Mr. Camp’s writing but before you dismiss him as too aggressive and uncaring read through these and the other rules I’ll post on subsequent blogs and determine for yourself whether Mr. Camp is being too aggressive I don’t believe so.
The third rule “results are not valid goals”  means that if you for example wish to be successful and who doesn’t that you have to define that success and set benchmarks for your journey.  It’s not enough to state that I what to make a million dollars in revenue this year, you’ve got to set goals and objectives that will get you to that stated result the million dollars in revenue in this case.  What are your goals for your business or life have you written them down or at least can you verbalize them it asked?
The fourth rule “Money has nothing to do with a valid mission and purpose” dovetails off of the third rule which is how Jim Camp presents his thirty three rules for negotiations in Start with No!  Each rule is a stepping stone for the next rule he presents.  Money is a result and not a mission or purpose perhaps the folks in Washington and Wall Street should be reading this book!
Finally the fifth rule “Never, enter a negotiation-never make a phone call-without a valid agenda.”  Basically means always have a plan of action for what you are doing whether in negotiations or in business.
What did you think about these first five rules?  Can you see a benefit in knowing them and applying them in your next negotiation, your business or your life?  Have I whetted your appetite for Jim Camp’s book Start with No!?  Hopefully so I’d love to see your comments please feel free to leave me yours and until next time all my best!  Jer.

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