05/06/2018
Finding the openings: A management lesson
Recently, I had the opportunity to complete a project. Successfully. But there was a point in time when I wondered if it would take off at all. The challenges appeared unending. If we had worked around one roadblock, another one would pop up out of the blue. Now, looking back it is time to reflect in pleasure and gather the learnings.
Writing things down is like setting in stone. They become available forever. To look back whenever the need arises, when memories have faded and learnings are almost lost. Or, simply to create a process. So, here I am with my notes, for that step-by-step process to close the deal like a pro.
1. Look for cracks in the logic. People on opposite sides tend to harden up when business is under pressure. They cling to the logic that they themselves have created. We have to break the impasse then by finding those small cracks in their seemingly infallible logic. And that needs close attention to both the fine print and the missing print.
2. Identify opportunities. Look at what you can bring differently to the table. And see if you can fit them somewhere in the whole plan. If that is done, then it is a breakthrough.
3. Work around the problem areas. Sounds simple, eh? But actually things don’t move because people don’t like to give up their positions, their stand. Or what they are used to. But knowing what can motivate them comes in handy at such junctures. Bandy the candy. Show them what they can get out of the deal. Appeal to their dreams.
4. Develop solutions. Sounds banal? But will you agree that you cannot develop solutions if you do not know how you are going to be different? Because probably someone else had tried that path before and already got lost.
5. Prepare to perfection. If nothing else, preparation builds our courage. That we can. On the other hand, inadequate preparation makes us feel a bit empty. That we don’t know enough. With all the little experience that I have, I can tell with a ton of confidence that if there is one thing that can make or break a project or a deal, it is this preparation. At the most critical juncture, it provides you with that light-bulb moment that settles everything.
Someone once said something about ideas that stayed with me: Ideas are like pens. They are lost easily. Unless you use them in writing.
