Scotwork's Tales from the Table 2020

Scotwork's Tales from the Table 2020

®

2020 in Hindsight by Brian Buck

I recently came across a meme that stated, “I’m beginning to think that the saying ‘hindsight is 20/20’ was actually a message from a future time traveler that we completely misunderstood.” I had to laugh at that one. The reality is that we can never really have a full perspective of our situation until we’re past it, and I know that many of us are very happy to have 2020 in hindsight. But before we completely put it in our past, it’s worth reflecting on it to understand and appreciate its lasting impact on us all. This year’s holiday book is unique. First off, it’s being distributed digitally. With everyone hunkered down in their remote work environments, it just seemed to make more sense to send it out over the interweb than to physically deliver it. Secondly, it’s an interesting retrospective of the year that no one envisioned. We’ve republished each of our blog posts in chronological order. Reading them from start to finish, you can sense the emotion, the concern, the hope, and the false confidence that we all felt during that time. It’s a sobering yet comforting view into the year that we shared. For us at Scotwork North America, 2020 was intended to be the year when we would celebrate our 20th anniversary as a company in the United States and Canada. I was personally excited because it was my first full year as CEO, after taking the reins as interim CEO halfway through 2019. Our team of talented negotiation consultants was excited to build upon the important work that we were doing for our clients. Then . . . COVID-19. Our mission of transforming the way the world negotiates came into 20/20 focus in 2020. The sudden shutdown of the US economy created immediate and pronounced stressors on the hundreds of organizations that we support. We had entered The Age of Disruption: Deals were being renegotiated, postponed, or completely broken. Emotions ran high and we witnessed a tremendous amount of conflict as our clients struggled to resolve it efficiently and effectively. In order to help our community adapt to this “new normal” — learning

to create mutually valuable deals while building and maintaining strong relationships — we hosted free webinars for any company dealing with the impacts of COVID-19. Thousands of participants tuned in as we delivered critical advice on rising through hyper-uncertainty, building confidence and trust at a time of disruption, and, of course, continuing to gain more valuable deals. They learned how to navigate the intricacies and pitfalls of negotiating via email within their new, mandated virtual workspaces. And they even acquired skills for not just how to get by, but also for how they could actually take advantage of our “new normal” to produce profitable, consistent results. Our work is not done. The Age of Disruption is not over. And transforming the way people negotiate seems more important now than ever before. As we look forward to 2021, we’re hopeful that we’ll beat the pandemic. We’re hopeful that organizations will continue to innovate, finding ways to recover and thrive. We’re hopeful that we’ll come together as a country and focus on what unites us instead of what divides us. We’re confident in our ability to continue to transform negotiators in a manner that will help them get through their conflicts efficiently and effectively. Thank you, 2020, for the focus that you brought. Now, go away! Here’s to a safe, healthy, and prosperous 2021 for everyone.

ILLUSTRATION & EDITORIAL TEAM Every week our blog posts are illustrated and edited by a very talented team specializing in making us look good. Our Illustrator is Ben Risbeck and our Editor is Steven Chean.

Ben Risbeck

Ben Risbeck, a seasoned illustrator and designer with 17 years of experience in the entertainment industry and corporate America, now pursues the ultimate quest, writing and illustrating original stories his two young daughters can enjoy. He can either be found hunting for fossilized shark teeth on the Chesapeake Bay with his girls or in the kitchen whipping up crazy breakfast creations. Follow his journey on Instagram @benrisbeck Steven Chean spends the better part of his waking hours fixated on the music behind the message. It’s an obsession that’s shaped both his career and his life. Whether interviewing Ice Cube, editing copy you’ve enjoyed, crafting unforgettable marketing campaigns, or shaping identities of Fortune 500 companies (not to mention businesses of significantly smaller fortunes), Steven has a way of tapping into the unmistakable rhythms that make brand voices sing. Follow Steven’s work online at stevenchean.com. Steven Chean

Brian Buck CEO, Scotwork North America

year that was unlike any other. Here’s what they had to say . . . 2020 REFLECTIONS

As 2020 came to a close, we asked our team to share the lessons they learned from a

Sandy Sbarra “When people or companies are significant, unanticipated hardsh and creativity kick in, enabling th and reinvent themselves in a cha Ananda Laberge

Jessica Day “In 2020 I learned that compassion, adaptability, and perseverance can lead you to success, no matter what situation you find yourself in. As much as we want to be able to have total control over our present and future, the only thing that we can truly control is how we show up every day. Our team showed up with these critical qualities and I am grateful to find myself in an environment that encourages innovation.”

Randy Kutz “In 2020 I have learned that everyone processes challenges and change in different ways because of the context that they find themselves in when external events disrupt. Even though we can all talk about a common event, we color the event with our own unique, personal, and important experiences. I have learned to listen with greater acuity and appreciation for the people side of business.”

“I’ve always thought of m test of that! This was the I look at 2020 as a test ye 24/7 now that I’ve tempo on my emotional state. I b Gaet “2020

Jerry Langlois “Who would have expected that the world would turn upside down in 2020?! Here is something that I learned early on in business and in life: ‘It’s not what happens to you that matters, as much as what you do with it. That’s what matters most!’ I believe that everyday life is a gift, and what we do with it is our gift back!”

Mille Daivs “My brother has a tattoo that quotes Frederick Douglass: ‘If there is no struggle, there is no progress.’ I think that is a perfect sentiment for 2020. Our team had many challenges this year, and we still found ways to support each other, adapt to change, and embrace the struggle.”

Julie Shen “2020 has taught us so many lessons, whether we wanted to learn them or not. As the year began, I had objectives set out for myself, as many people did. But as things drastically changed, I discovered that with a reset and change of attitude, I could still meet my objectives but had to be creative in my strategies. It would have been easy to fall into Netflix heaven and ‘wait it out,’ but life kept happening and constant readjustments kept me grounded and optimistic.”

loneli chan from contr aware is a v react

Mike Saporito “2020 has taught me how essential it is to be adapt- able in all areas of life. This year has forced companies and individuals to be put in unfamiliar or uncomfortable positions, and how they deal with those is what is most important. While it has been a tough year for all, I think there is a lot of good to take out of it.”

Rich Waldrop “I learned that we were all able to transition to the virtual training/ consulting world very quickly and seamlessly, and that the technology is amazing. Although it does not give the same ‘feeling’ as a live course does in some aspects, it gives a different ‘feeling’ in others. The virtual world is here to stay and will be a ‘disruptive technology’ for the future — meaning that it will positively change the way we do business going forward in many ways.”

Michael Roche “I learned two important lessons in 2020: If you believe in the value of what you offer, nothing can stop you. I also learned that in order to grow, you must be willing to innovate.” Susan Boisvert

e subjected to hips, their resilience hem to preserve anging world.”

“Although 2020 has been a stressful year and we’ve all been placed in situations that we didn’t ask for and experienced hardships we never imagined, I’ve learned to accept the things I cannot change, to have the courage to change the things that I can, and to pursue knowing the difference between the two. Your perspective changes everything.” Giulio Zanolla “One of the biggest lessons of 2020, for me, has

John Leehman “In 2020 I learned that every member of our team is capable of being stretched to new competencies. It was a pleasure to work with a team that made sacrifices without complaint, in order to serve our clients.”

myself as being able to pivot at the direst of times, and 2020 was a sure year when I learned a new level of resiliency, and not only in business. ear: a test on my marriage (turns out I like being with my husband orarily retired my road-warrior status), a test on our family, and a test bid you adieu, 2020, and thank you for all that you have taught us.” tan Pellerin

0 was a year like no other. It brought us sadness, iness, worries, sorrows, fears, challenges, and nges. It also brought us an opportunity to learn it. I purposely focused on things that I can rol. Mindfulness allowed me to be present and e that life didn’t happen to me or us. Nobody victim. Life just happens! It’s how we choose to t to events that makes a difference.”

Jill Campen “In 2020 I learned that the work of Scotwork is mission driven and purposeful — to truly transform the way the world negotiates. I am applying this mission with clients, colleagues, and family. Transformation is so important — toward collaboration and away from the focus on winners or losers.”

been that we are more adaptable than we could have imagined. Changing the way we do things, in business and in personal life, out of sheer necessity turned out to be overall less painful, more accessible, and more effective than we could have anticipated.”

Ignorance Is Bliss...

2020 started with a lot of hope and optimism. It was to be a celebration for Scotwork as we marked our 20th anniversary here in the United States and Canada. Little did we know, the celebration would be short-lived and our higher purpose was about to come into focus.

Top 5 Things to Make Every Deal Better by Brian Buck

Welcome to 2020! It’s Scotwork’s 20th anniversary here in North America. While Scotwork has been a global presence for 45 years, we launched operations here in the US/Canada in 2000. During that time, our skilled negotiators and consultants have helped thousands of dealmakers to not only improve their deals, but also strengthen relationships and create more value for all involved. As such, we want to start off your year of dealmaking right, with 5 things you need to do to make every deal better. #1 - Prepare! Benjamin Franklin (and countless other smart people) said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Nowhere is this adage more applicable than at the negotiating table. Not to sound trite or obvious, but the reality is that most dealmakers don’t take time to prepare. Instead, they prefer to “wing it.” Typically,

that’s because they’re either overly confident in their abilities or they just don’t know how to prepare. Regardless of the reason, skilled negotiators love the unprepared; their sheer unpreparedness affords skilled negotiators endless opportunities to extract value. #2 - Check Your Ego At the Door Ego can derail a negotiation. When our egos come into play, a negotiation becomes all about ourselves. We tend to forget about the other party and focus solely on our importance and needs. During these times, we actually become more susceptible to falsehoods and truth-

distortion as we twist reality to suit our ego-driven fantasies. In other words, we start to believe our own BS. If you’re caught up in your ego, prepare to be exploited by a skilled negotiator. #3 - Keep Your Emotions Under Control I’m not an advocate for being emotionless at the negotiating table. In fact, I believe it’s nearly impossible to be emotionless — and that’s OK. What’s more important is controlling your emotions and not letting them

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” - Benjamin Franklin

get the best of you. Skilled negotiators sense when emotion is taking hold, and they find ways to get it back under control, such as taking a break, changing topics, or asking questions. #4 - Rely on “Yes” More Than “No” I’ve never won an argument or negotiation by saying “no.” All negotiated deals will end with someone saying “yes,” so why not start there? It’s very tempting to tell the other party “no” when you’re asked to do something you don’t want to do. However, saying “no” rarely ends the conversation or solves the problem. In fact, it usually creates new problems. The next time you’re asked to give something you weren’t prepared to give, stop and think about how you can respond affirmatively. Skilled negotiators look for ways to give, create value, and keep conversations moving forward. They create possibilities. All of that begins with “yes.” #5 - Don’t Go Alone Sometimes we have no choice but to engage in negotiations by ourselves. Then again, sometimes we choose to negotiate alone because our ego tells us that we’re skilled enough to do so (see tip #2 above). When we’re alone, we’re susceptible to mistakes via our blind spots and other shortcomings. Having help is not a sign of weakness. In fact, skilled negotiators seek to work with a team. They’re rarely alone because they know that they’re stronger when working with those who

can share the workload, bring alternative perspectives to the table, and generally fill in the gaps. They create teams that are more powerful and effective than any individual. By keeping all of the above top of mind throughout 2020, your deals will be much better and you’ll be much happier. “Our skilled negotiators and consultants have helped thousands of dealmakers.”

Be a G.O.A.T. Negotiator by Brian Buck

#2 They Have Coaches G.O.A.T.s have people in their circle who watch them in action, analyze what they’re doing, highlight their blind spots, and hold them accountable for improving. As natural an athlete as Ali was, his work with Angelo Dundee actually set him apart. (For your information, Dundee also trained 15 other world champions.) When Gretzky was asked about his uncanny hockey awareness, he proudly said, “It’s not God-given, it’s Wally-given,” referring to his father, who coached Gretzky on how to anticipate and play differently from everyone else. Sebastian Vettel has been using individual coaches for mental performance as well as focusing on areas of preparedness and time management. Coaches have the ability to inspire and teach greatness, but their true genius lies in observing, highlighting, and challenging. Coaches can watch and see the entire playing field, whereas a player may see only the play in front of them. Coaches can point out the blind spots that need to be worked on, not to mention the opportunities that must be taken advantage of. Coaches can challenge the athlete to think and perform beyond their own limitations. When it comes to performance, corporate athletes need many different types of coaches. Much as sports athletes have a nutritionist, an athletic trainer, a sports psychologist, a business advisor, and, of course, the team’s coaches, corporate athletes should have a cadre of coaches to call upon in order to help them achieve greatness. The same goes for great dealmakers. Dealmakers need deal coaches — someone who can cut through their emotional limitations, bring a broader perspective, and challenge their institutional thinking in order to maximize performance with the goal of achieving the best deal possible. To be a G.O.A.T., train like a G.O.A.T. and be coached like a G.O.A.T.

When it comes to sports, the term G.O.A.T. (aka greatest of all time) gets tossed around a lot. Sometimes the title is easy to bestow, due to an athlete’s undeniably impressive career stats. But most of the time, it becomes the subject of endless debates regarding one player who may, or may not, be better than another. However, regardless of who’s your G.O.A.T. — Muhammad Ali, Tom Brady, Serena Williams, Sebastian Vettel, Wayne Gretzky (the actual Great One) — we should be able to agree that they all have two things in common. As it turns out, these two things can turn any dealmaker into a G.O.A.T. negotiator. #1 They Practice All of them worked to be great. Even those with God-given talent had to work to refine that talent. Put another way, they never rested on their laurels. As someone once told me, “Hard work beats hardly working talent every day.” My suspicion is that the G.O.A.T.s believe that too. For instance, Serena Williams spends five hours a day honing her craft. Even during the off season, Tom Brady’s putting in work — both physical and mental — five days a week. That said, it’s no accident that these people are at the top of their game and are universally considered the greatest of all time. They work at it. By contrast, many “corporate athletes” rarely practice their craft. They just jump in and do it, most of them expecting different results from the same actions. Why don’t they practice their craft? They point to a lack of time, but the reality is that it’s simply not a priority, therefore they don’t make the time. Which is a shame, because it’s practice that gives us the ability to try new things, make mistakes in a safe environment, and learn to get better. Becoming a great dealmaker requires practice. Just wanting to be great won’t get you there. Reading about being great won’t make it happen. You have to take the time to practice, particularly at those critical deals that have a lot riding on them. No professional athlete shows up to a game without practicing, so why would you show up to a negotiation without doing the same?

Negotiating Alone by Brian Buck

I’m a big believer in working with a team. I’ve always felt that I’m stronger when working with others than by myself. However, negotiating as a team can’t always happen. In fact, many of us find ourselves in the position of having to do our dealmaking all on our own. Some of you may prefer it this way while others are forced to do it this way, but in the end, negotiating alone is not an easy task and should not be taken lightly. Here are some tips on what to do when you’re caught negotiating alone. 1. Slow Down There’s a lot to do in an effective negotiation. That said, it’s much easier when you can distribute the load among teammates, but when you’re by yourself, you’ll have to do everything yourself. So, slow down and give yourself enough time to get everything done — from thorough preparation to effective proposal-making. This is not the time to rush. Be mindful of what you’re doing and take your time. 2. Plan for Breaks When you’re with a team, there are natural breaks that occur during the course of conversation — moments when you’re not talking. These moments will give you some time to think. When you’re by yourself, you’re carrying the burden of driving the conversation, so breaks tend to be nonexistent. Therefore, plan to take a couple of breaks in your conversation — whether they’re to use the restroom, grab something to drink, or just take some time to think. They will help you to gather your thoughts and process information. 3. Summarize Often When you’re by yourself, not only do you have to drive the conversation, but you also have to take copious notes while trying to listen intently to the other side. To help keep everything organized, regularly pause and summarize the conversation to that point. This will help to ensure that you haven’t lost any of the salient points that have been discussed. You can even ask the other side to summarize, which will give you a minute

to think things over as well. 4. Be Comfortable Tabling Answers

When we’re by ourselves, we sometimes feel pressure to have all the answers. That’s just not realistic, so don’t fall into that trap. If the other side asks a question that you’re not prepared to answer or aren’t ready to answer, then don’t. Let them know that you “need to think about it” or that you “haven’t considered that situation” and need some time before you can answer. If it’s important, they’ll wait. Better to take your time than to give an answer that you’ll regret later. 5. Look for Opportunities to Consult with Others Even though you’re by yourself, find ways to leave the table and consult with others. During breaks or between meetings, confer with a colleague. Talk to them about what’s happening and get their input on the situation. This will help to broaden your perspective, allowing you to see past your own blinders. Like I said, I prefer to have a team with me when I negotiate, but that doesn’t always happen. And I’m sure that many of you rarely get the opportunity to negotiate with a team. Regardless of your situation, when you’re caught negotiating alone, remember the above and you’ll get through it with much better deals. “Be mindful of what

you’re doing and take your time.”

Ripped Off by Brian Buck

When the phone call came, all we heard from our colleague was, “You’re kidding me!” We were finishing up a celebratory team dinner at the resort we were staying at, and we discovered that our colleague’s room had been broken into and all of his belongings stolen. And by “all,” I mean everything, including passports, credit cards, car keys, and laptops. Needless to say, it cut the celebration short. I paid the bill and headed to his room to figure out what to do. All I knew was that, at some point, the property’s management and I were going to have a few words about how to rectify the situation. All told, the loss was about $4,000. Obviously, this amount didn’t include the massive inconvenience of having to get everything shut down and replaced. His room was on the second floor. The burglar apparently came through the sliding door on the balcony, as evidenced by the open balcony door and the fact that the security bar on the room’s front door had been locked (presumably to prevent entry from the front). My colleague also received a fraud alert via his credit card from a gas station located 15 minutes from the resort. Unfortunately, the hotel’s security was limited: There were no cameras in the area, and there wasn’t sufficient personnel to patrol the expansive property. As we considered what happened, it was clear that the hotel wasn’t doing enough to deter, much less prevent, incidents like this. We had selected this hotel for our annual team meeting. I invited our entire North America team as well as global leadership for this special

occasion to celebrate our 20th anniversary in the region. As details of the burglary unfolded, I began to hear about other security concerns: broken in-room safes, unlit pathways, burned-out overhead lighting, unresponsive staff regarding guest concerns, etc. As my team shared all of these relatively minor things that became more of an issue in light of the burglary, I felt that we had a legitimate complaint. My first step was to notify our banquet manager and his boss of our issue. I was clear not only about the issue, but also about my expectations in terms of making the situation better, including next steps. Shortly after submitting my complaint, I was visited by the head of security and banquet manager. As predicted, they were empathetic and apologetic. I restated my opening position and let them know how this had impacted us. I told them, specifically, what I needed to make the situation better. The ask? Provide enough credit/rebate to our bill to cover the loss of belongings and make up for the inconvenience. The ensuing debate was brief. Since I was clear about what we wanted, the conversation moved quickly from apologies for what happened to what needed to be done to make it right. While the situation was unfortunate, it does illustrate what to do when you’ve been aggrieved. Complaining is easy, but it rarely leads to resolving the situation in a manner that’s acceptable to you. If you can take a moment to think through what you need, then you can drive the conversation toward a resolution that you can live with.

“Complaining is easy, but it rarely leads to resolving the situation in a manner that’s acceptable to you.”

What’s Love Got to Do With It? by Brian Buck

Love is in the air . . . or is it? Valentine’s Day is around the corner and like clockwork, we’re getting inundated with advertisements for flowers, jewelry, romantic this, and romantic that. There’s seemingly an endless number of ways to materialistically show our love. Which got me to thinking: Do you need to send a valentine to the ones you negotiate with? To put it differently, how much love should you show at the negotiating table? We recently completed an exhaustive global study of negotiations, surveying more than 5,000 executives in 31 countries. The results were stunning. One of the >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106

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