Negotiating

Attack using '3-D chess'

As a federal prosecutor, DeMaurice Smith never backed off. That’s precisely how Smith, more lately as head of the NFL Players Association, secured a good contract for his members in 2011. His secrets? Three P’s:

The power of brutal transparency

The power of transparency is that it speeds trust and collaboration, says Dov Seidman, founder and CEO of compliance training firm LRN. And, surprisingly, it’s incredibly disarming.

Learn to tune in to body language

Tuning in to body language is one of the most important things you can do in business situations. Unfortunately, most of us become so wrapped up in what we’re saying, we forget to pay attention to the person we’re talking with. The solution: Look out for basic cues.

How LBJ used power and leadership

Understanding the distinction between power and leadership—how leaders use power to accomplish things—is the work of historian Robert Caro. In his books on President Lyndon Johnson, Caro shows that power doesn’t corrupt so much as it reveals: When you amass enough power, it reveals what you’ve really wanted all along.

Bring in a third party at an impasse

When United Airlines was making its first big purchase of the 737 aircraft, it ran into a disagreement with pilots. United believed that two pilots should fly the plane while the union wanted three pilots. That management and union leadership reached an impasse is no huge surprise. But what is surprising is what came next.

How to get what you want

“There’s this big building in Chicago called the Sears Tower. You heard of it?” Joseph Plumeri, chief executive of Willis Group Holdings, asked graduating seniors at the College of William & Mary. That’s also the way Plumeri would tell people how he planned to rename that skyscraper the Willis Tower.

Leadership Tips: Vol. 811

Plan a reverse elevator pitch: Every­body knows about the 30-­second “elevator speech” aspiring employees should have on hand when riding the elevator with head honchos. But do you have a snippet ready for times you’re confined in a small space with a subordinate or a visitor?

Recognize a 'thick face'

Most Americans know about “saving face,” the Asian concept of preserving reputation, dignity and prestige. Less known is having a “thick face,” or being tough and adaptable while still saving face. There’s more to having a thick face, as defined by a Western businessman who worked for many years in China:

Four 'musts' for women managers

Common wisdom says you’re a leader because you’re good at leading. But research suggests that you’re a leader because you’re good at claiming the authority to lead. That’s a necessary lesson for women managers, say Harvard professors Hannah Riley Bowles and Kathleen McGinn.

A failure to communicate

Q. “I’ve just finished reading No One Would Listen: A True Financial Thriller by Harry Markopolos, the whistle-blower in the Bernard Madoff scandal. Why do you think Markopolos was so ineffective at persuading the SEC that Madoff was a fraud? What does this story tell us about how to be persuasive in negotiation?”

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