Time ( Part 2 ) - 3 Crucial Variables
As, we were discussing about North Vietnamese War, Americans couldn't believe that they said 32 year Quickie.
Did the North Vietnamese literally mean that? Of course not. Did they have a Deadline? Yes, just as the Japanese did when I dealt with them in Tokyo. Were they are under pressure to conclude at least this phase of the conflict? Certainly.
But they perpetuated their bluff because they knew that Americans were not committed to an indefinite struggle in Southeast Asia.
After months of continued hostilities, the North Vietnamese finally Peace talks in Paris. The United States quickly dispatched Averell Harriman as our Representative, and he rented a room on a week-to-week basis in the Ritz Hotel at the Place Vendome in the center of the city.
Do you remember what the North Vietnamese did? They eventually rented a villa outside of Paris with a 2 and a half year Lease. Do you think that this North Vietnamese attitude about time, later compounded by endless disputes over the shape of the bargaining table, had an Impact on the outcome of the Negotiations?
Emphatically it did. In retrospect we can now understand why the Paris Peace accords never successfully resolved the war-at least, to U.S satisfaction.
In spite of their seeming devil-may-care attitude about time, the North Vietnamese did have a deadline. Take it from me, as an Article of Faith, that the other side-every "other-side"- always has a deadline.
If they didn't have some pressure to negotiate, you would not be able to find them. But Time and Time again, the other side tries to act nonchalant- and the nonchalant posture is effective.
It works because you feel the pressure of your own time constraints, which always appears greater than theirs. This is true in all negotiation encounters.
Do you recall the Sears Refrigerator Salesman who returns Periodically with a greeting of, "Hi, there- made up your mind?" Chances are that beneath his calm facade lies an anxiety-ridden human being whose boss told him that very morning, "If you don't sell a refrigerator today, tomorrow you'll be out in the elements pumping gas on an island."
Here's another Article of Faith you can hang your hat on: Deadlines- your own and other people's- are more flexible than you realize. Who gives you your deadlines? Who Imposes them on you?
Essentially, you yourself, in an activity called self-discipline or managing your time. Your Boss, the Government, A Customer, or a Family Member may have something to do with it, but primarily your deadline is of your own making.
Since this is the case, you never need blindly follow a deadline. I'm not saying you should ignore deadline. I am saying you should Analyze them.
Since they are invariably the Products of a Negotiation they might well be Negotiable.
Always ask yourself, "What will happen If I go Beyond the Deadline? What is the certainty of the Detriment or Penalty? What is the extent of the Punishment? In short, How Great is the Risk I'm Taking?"
For Instance, we all know that the deadline for filing your Income-tax Return in the U.S is April 15. What happens when you file late? Will Someone pound on your door with a rifle butt and drag you off for incarceration? Hardly.
If you analyze this deadline, a yardstick for your behavior might be whether you owe the Government Money or Whether the Government Owes you. If you are a substantial debtor who files really late, the Internal Revenue Service will penalize you, charging you Interest and a Penalty on the Sum Owed.
However, if you compare the Rate of Return that the Government is getting for allowing you to use their money to the Rate that banks charge for a comparable loan, you'll find that the government's terms may be more favorable.
The Real Question should be, "To whom do you want to give your business, the Local Bank at a High Rate or the U.S Government at a Reasonable Rate?"
Myself, I say, "Go with Uncle Sam!"
What happens if the government owes you money and you file your return late? Although you may have to wait a little longer for the refund, there is no penalty. Why, the IRS is lucky you aren't charging them Interest.
Yet people who know they will have a Refund coming knock themselves out to get the magical postmark prior to midnight, April 15.
Some of them goof up their computations because of last-minute haste and end up being subjected to a costly, time-consuming audit.
Ask yourself, "If the Government owes me Money, why am I Running?"
They say to yourself, "I'll go over my return leisurely, double-check the arithmetic, and then drop it off at the Post Office when it's convenient to do so."
As we have seen, the way we view and use time can be crucial to success. Time may even affect a Relationship. A delay arrival may be seen as evidence of confidence or hostility, whereas an early arrival may be viewed as anxiety or a Lack of consideration for others.
Time can favor either side, depending on the circumstances. Regardless of these interim Interpretations which may affect the Negotiation Climate, Some of the Observations already made are worth repeating:
- Since most concession behavior and settlements will occur at or even beyond the deadline, be Patient. True Strength often calls for the ability to sustain the tension without fight or flight. Learn to keep your automatic defense responses under control. Remain calm but keep alert for the favorable moment to act. As a general rule, Patience Pays. It may be that the thing to do, when you do not know what to do, is to do nothing.
- In an adversary Negotiation your best strategy is not to Reveal your Real Deadline to the other side. Always keep in mind that since deadlines are the Product of a Negotiation they are more Flexible than most people Realize. Never Blindly follow a deadline but evaluate the benefits and detriments that will ensure as you approach, or go beyond, the brink.
- The "Other Side", cool and serene as they may appear, always have a deadline. Most often, the Tranquility they display outwardly masks a great deal of stress and pressure.
- Precipitous action should be taken only when it's guaranteed to be to your advantage. Generally Speaking, you cannot achieve the Best outcome quickly; you can achieve it only slowly and perseveringly. Very often as you approach the deadline a shift of power will occur, presenting a creative solution or even a turnaround by the other side. The people may not change, but with the passage of time, circumstances do.
Having examined Power and Time, Let's move to the Next Ingredient:
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