Most everyone would agree with the adage that knowledge is power, but what about sharing that knowledge? Some might argue that in the context of a contract negotiation, for example, knowledge provides a competitive advantage—so why share it? I would argue just the opposite. . Briefly put, sharing knowledge creates a dynamic of transparency, trust […]
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Culture, Yes! Based on Lived Values? Yes Again!
Most companies stress the importance of their culture as a key to their success. Are these mere feel good words, or really real? I thought about this as I read about Bobby Herrera, CEO of Populus Group, in a “leader profile” blog post by Patrick Lencioni, founder of The Table Group. Lencioni examined the factors that make the Populus […]
…Then You Win
“First, they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” The quote is attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, and I wanted to share it because I believe it is relevant to the Vested business model, and the way negotiations should go in a non-violent/nonconfrontational environment. The “ignore” part is the […]
Chess Masters and CDAs
If you are a self-proclaimed chess junkie you know there’s no such thing as a casual, friendly game of chess – for that try checkers! It can take years of practice and study to become even somewhat proficient at chess. Tournament players are exponentially better than chess players/fans, and Experts are beyond most tournament players. […]
Collaboration and Co-Creation
Collaboration is all the rage. As it should be. But far too many people and organizations can get demoralized when collaboration attempts seem forced or collaboration attempts produce less results than the hyped expectations. Why is this? I believe it is because far too many companies don’t get to real collaboration where co-creation is happening. […]
Learning is Hard; Un-learning is Harder!
We are all familiar with the old saying that once you learn how to ride a bike, you never forget it. And that’s good because there is basically one way to ride a bike, right? Well not necessarily – what if you were challenged to ride a bike that was geared so that the steering […]
Watching the Bee-Watcher
Vested Rule #5 tells us that our contract or business framework should embrace an Insight vs Oversight Governance Structure. Unfortunately, many organization believe that to be in control, they need to be controlling. The result? Micromanagement of your employees and suppliers! Micromanagement stems from a lack of trust and poor governance structures. If you trust […]
Working For vs. Working With
Does it bug you when you hear people say, “I work for xxxx…” or “xxxx works for me.” It does me! Shouldn’t it always be “I work with xxxx!” Here’s my take on “for” vs. “with”: We work for an idea or a principle – such as to achieve a cure for arthritis or cancer, for example, or a […]
The Rise of the Dinobots
For now, the human element is an essential part of negotiating collaborative and shared-value contract relationships.
Are You Dealing with Godzilla?
I wanted to share a few thoughts – or afterthoughts – after my previous blog that revisited the Gorilla and the Elephant. As I noted, many organizations can relate to and “see” gorillas and elephants in the midst of their own deals. Someone responded on this idea of gorillas and elephants, saying it was a […]