Getting what you want often requires you to do things that you have never done before–to step outside your comfort zone. In order to do that in a manner that consistently makes sense to you, you have to get clear about what you want. John Mariotti says,
“All of life is a negotiation.”
And if he’s correct, then it’s time to become a deal maker. In “You Don’t Get What You Deserve: You Get What You Negotiate,” John points out that making deals
“. . . is a learned skill. Some people are naturally better at it than others, but everyone benefits from learning the principles of good negotiation.”
Talk about moving outside your comfort zone: Negotiation tends to scare people. To get you over that hurdle, John refers to several tips by expert Chester Karrass, including training that incorporates role playing. Another tip that I appreciate is doing your homework.
Know what you need and want, and what the other side needs and wants, and then come up with an opportunity that serves both sides.
It’s funny how so much of our businesses (and our lives) are driven by clarity. In “7 Habits That Made Steve Jobs a Success,” Susan L. Reid says,
“Be true to yourself. Jobs succeeded by following his own ‘inner voice, heart and intuition.'”
We can do the same once we learn how to uncover the ideas. And that may require you to develop a creative process including the use of a tool like mind mapping. Anita Campbell says,
“For those times when you need or want to generate ideas on your own, mind mapping can be a great solution.”
In “To Get Innovative, Harness the Power of Mind Mapping,” Anita mentions that this tool:
“. . . essentially means representing your ideas graphically.”
I use mind mapping any time I think I’m blocked. And when I finish the exercise, I usually have more ideas than I have time to pursue. But why does it work? Anita asks,
“Why does mind mapping stimulate more creativity than simply writing lists of ideas on a whiteboard?”
According to the experts, mind mapping (called clustering in other circles) stimulates both sides of your brain and liberates your thinking. I know it works for me. Try it the next time you need to dream a bigger dream.
It’s time to get clear.
Emmanuel omoera
Ideas generate much business than study…. I have always have the dream to setup a business in my country,a business that dont seems to exist over here,i thought over and over again about the kind of business ,but i noticed that the business was capital etensive so i gaveup the business idea for another,right now i need about over$5000,to startup other choice of business over here,i dont have such money,i tried reaching to banks and church for a loan,their requirement from my guarantors were just something to drive them crazy. If you have a dream,learn to makesure the finances is ready before pusshing further in the idea…… I keep dreaming with no money to startup on of my dream businesses.One of my aim about the business was to generate employment and aswell further my education into the university,i attended a polytechnic here but i couldnt complete my education due to lack of fund and my parent are late. I need some advice you. Thanks and keep on the Good job.
Martin Lindeskog
Jamillah,
During my years as a purchaser I did plenty of negotiations. It is important to understand that both parties (seller and buyer) are important in the negotiation. I will come back with some tips from a course I attended called “Negotiating from a Weak Position.”
I always used clustering with my students and it worked very well. It helped them to see the connections of their thoughts and where they took us. Businesses can benefit a lot from school-like tactics as they usually help you outline where you are, what you’re doing and what your goals are.