CMA Associate Rebecca Stowe offers her advice in response to a recent query on a property purchase: Q. I’m trying to purchase a house, which has been advertised as “private sale” by a real estate agent. The price the vendor has specified seems ambitious, and as a purchaser, I’m keen to pay as low a price […]
If you’ve ever come across someone who cannot seem to give up on an argument without being ‘right’, there’s a reason for that. And, in fact, the chances are that you may have done this yourself, even if it wasn’t intentional. Being right may be great, but if we are too focussed on being right, […]
“Fair prices and minimal drama”: these were the words that caught my attention when I read The Age’s recent article on how a Harvard-based negotiation strategy helped the Geelong and Adelaide Football Clubs negotiate a complex player exchange. Senior executives from both clubs had recently completed short programs on negotiation at Harvard University and were sufficiently inspired that they put the theory into […]
It’s a complaint regularly heard by physios: “I tried to get fit but ended up getting injured.” Maybe you lifted weights the wrong way and strained a muscle, or ran too far too quickly and broke down. It’s one thing to have the right mindset, but experts know that mindset is only the beginning. Collaboration is […]
When the authors of the classic negotiation text Getting to Yes* penned the advice ‘focus on interests, not positions’, they couldn’t have chosen a simpler way to describe what in practice can often prove challenging. The guideline ‘focus on interests, not positions’ serves as a powerful remedy to the tendency for negotiators to focus on […]
I am in the process of organising my wedding, and recently had an interesting negotiation over the final contract with our preferred photographer. Part of the package that they put forward included 100 thank-you cards. We had already organised to get our thank-you cards printed with our invitations, so had no need for this.
Negotiation skills training needn’t stop in the workplace. Tyla Locke offers some advice on how to manage conflict at home – read on! Q. I’ve been having trouble resolving an issue with the builder who built my house. The house has structural issues which have resulted in a leaking roof and damage to the walls […]
The latest edition of The Project Manager includes an article on stakeholder management, with some insights from key industry figures, including our own Joel Gerschman, senior consultant at CMA. What did Joel have to say? “The most effective project managers act deliberately and with confidence. To do this, it helps to have a systematic framework […]