How important is your oppositions ‘psychological BATNA’ in a negotiation?
The BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) has become an essential tool in the negotiation toolbox, yet many leave it in the box. It is, in effect, your 'walk-away' point. However, before you walk away, there are always alternatives that can be...
What does the end of cheap money mean to manufacturing SME’s?
The inflation figures released this morning put the annualised inflation rate at 5.1%, up from 3.5% at the end of the December quarter last year. While it may bounce around given the volatility of fuel and food prices, the trend is very clear, and the current...
What did the Anzacs really fight for?
It is Anzac Day 2022, a day we remember those who fought to give us the choices we now have to shape the lives we lead. In homage to the sacrifices they made, we need to be thinking seriously about the choices we are making that will impact on those who follow...
Four sporting parameters to build a successful culture
People want to do what they are good at, and it makes sense to let them do that. However, doing well on an individual basis is not enough to succeed. You need to do well at the micro, as well as ensuring that your bit is making a positive contribution to the...
How to engage an audience with words
Words are important, crucial to the effective communication and intent of an idea being articulated. Without the right words, well delivered, the idea will not have any oxygen, so be still-born. This notion is applicable to every type of situation, from the...
Which question should you ask?
Asking questions is the best way to build empathy, while collecting information and helping others reach a conclusion. This assumes that you are listening closely and reacting appropriately to the answers. It follows that being disciplined and planned in the...
One huge long-term problem that will not be an election issue
On Sunday as the 2022 election was being called, I was sitting in a café in one of those affluent strips observing life, and gathering my thoughts. It occurred to me that the blather we are all now about to face will avoid any reference to the key question that...
Four building blocks of a successful culture.
Culture as defined by Michael Porter is ‘The way we do things around here.’ Those words imply ‘Local.’ Immediate. In the vicinity. I have seen differing cultures exist in the one business in separate locations. When most commentators refer to ‘Corporate...
A marketer’s explanation of ‘First Principles’
'Go back to first principles' is an often-heard expression. At least as often, those uttering it have no real idea of the meaning, beyond 'think again'. Twenty-six hundred years ago, Greek philosopher Aristotle defined it as: 'The first basis from which a thing...
How do you get others to agree with you?
Ask them for their advice, rather than an opinion. When you ask for advice, you are doing the right thing, you are getting people inside the tent. When you ask for an opinion, you are often doing the wrong thing. You are giving them the opportunity for them to go back...