5 Business Skills Every IT Pro Must Master (Collection)

Truth 20The pregame

Negotiations have a beginning, middle, and end. If we think about the golf analogy, there is a beginning, in which the players (golfers) socialize and maybe even talk about the rules for engagement. There is the game itself (9 or 18 holes). And then there is the postgame, at which time socializing might occur or the golfers might discuss the game.

Obviously, there will be dramatic variations in the "negotiation game" across different cultures. For example, in her book Tough Choices: A Memoir, Carly Fiorina, CEO of Hewlett-Packard from 1999 to 2005, talks about the pregame in her negotiations with Korean company Lucky GoldStar. The pregame consisted of a traditional Korean barbeque at which Carly was given a lovely female escort ...