Objectives are the Key to Negotiation

If there is one thing that I have learnt over the years as a professional negotiator, and through teaching, coaching and advising, it is to have clear specific achievable objectives. Without these you are “winging it” and out of control.

It pays for everyone to work at being clear and understanding the number one objective in their lives. Every week – every day – we should all go through the process of asking ourselves: “What is (are) the most important thing(s) in my life?” – your bottom line, the reason for being. Then work out your objectives for the day, week and month. Each will have your fundamental goal as their guiding criteria. There will be personal, career, business, organisation, country goals and possibly more.

When I am running courses or coaching individuals and teams, I challenge constantly the way objectives are set and encourage self-questioning. Why? Why is that important? Why is that more important than other goals? Is that highly desirable but not essential? Why is it so important to you? Could you live without it? If you could realise only one of your goals which one would it be? Why? …… and so on. The greater the clarity of one's objectives, the easier it is to determine strategic options.

So, for each objective we set for ourselves, we need to determine whether it is reasonable, realistic and desirable but maybe not essential. This week we have been watching such questions be addressed towards major world events and against the choice of survival and safety; and in considering these, one has to balance what one must achieve against what is essential to be avoided at all costs. Always be careful that by pushing for something just beyond realistic might jeopardise the security of your business, family, home, country.

The more one becomes skilled in the distillation of goals to the absolute essentials, the better is our state of readiness, clarity of thought, decision making, selection of strategy, focus and confidence.

Our focus on objective and not strategy, stops us “playing games”, making excuses, blaming others, hiding behind the skirts of other parties. It encourages responsibility, integrity, duty and gives meaning to what we do and who we are.