My
boss is a hard-hitting Hollywood executive who has spent the last two decades
in boardrooms and on film sets. Every day for him is a negotiation whether it
is starting a new business, securing investors, buying a car, or convincing his
lovely wife why he needs a new $7,000 video screening monitor. His life has led
to many different types of negotiations and has found him on varying sides of
the table. He has been bullied, the victor, the mediator, and the loser. More
often than not however, he prides himself on being able to listen carefully,
communicate effectively and maintain relationships in an industry where it is
all about who you know. I sat down with my mentor and asked him about some of
his experiences in the negotiating arena and the lessons he has learned along
the way.
Q. You have been negotiating for the
majority of your career with everyone from movie stars to high-powered studio
executives. How do you separate the people from the problem?
A. The industry has changed a lot from when I
first started twenty years ago. Emotion had no place in negotiation and the “Suits”
were tough. Even when I was first rising up the ladder to an executive level, I
had no tolerance for the personal side of an argument. Negotiation has really
changed in the last decade or so and as I have moved to manage my own company,
I see the importance and benefit of being able to address and respect the
emotions of my counterpart. I now attack
every negotiation by first breaking down the problem into individual pieces in
order to view them separately. This allows me to look at the facts of the
discussion so that emotions can be addressed and removed. There is some degree
of sympathy that must remain in even the toughest negotiations in order to keep
discussions moving and keep relationships in tact. I approach this with a lot
of ‘I understand’ and asking questions.
Q. How do you handle bargaining based
on positions as opposed to principles and interests?
A. Logic and research {objective criteria} (Fisher,
Ury & Patton, 2011, p. 86-89) are my
main weapons when addressing individuals who insist on digging into their
position. Logic, reason and questions allow irrationality to be brought to
light and positions debunked.
Q. Give an example of how you work
towards mutual benefit when negotiating a deal?
A. Establishing a common foundation is key
when reaching a mutual agreement. That foundation can be built on new ideas and
evaluated until an agreement is reached. In the film industry, middle ground
can be hard to find and rampant egos can prevent vision, but in the 13th
hour stuck in a boardroom, a middle ground can usually be seen.
Q. Has anyone ever used “dirty tricks”
with you whilst negotiating? How did you react?
A. I have no tolerance for dirty tricks, even
in an industry such as Hollywood where they are used daily. My confidence
allows me to call someone out on their tactics. I am not opposed to telling
someone that I know they are acting unprofessionally and that negotiations will
cease until a professional standard is met. I am never afraid to walk out of a negotiation.
Q. Do you develop a Best Alternative to
a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) before you enter a negotiation in order to have
that confidence?
A. Before every discussion, I make sure to look
at all of my options and courses of action. I am old school Hollywood in that I
am always looking for the better deal and know what they are before I agree to
anything.
* My boss and subject of this interview
requested to remain anonymous.
References
Fisher, R., Ury, W., & Patton, B. (2011). Getting to yes:
Negotiating agreement without giving in.
New York, NY: Penguin Group
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