Why did I choose this book?
We are in the project phase, when we start negotiations with suppliers and customers. I have not planned to read this book, but in the project I wasn't sure about negotiation with customers, suppliers or partners. So when I found this book, I didn't hesitate and I read it.
“The world is one big chess board, and everyone is moving their pawns”
What are the main takeaways from this book?
Be Focused
I've been trying for the last month to sleep 8 hours a night. It has helped me to integrate the day's experiences with our existing knowledge. If I don't sleep enough I can see that my creativity and focus is lower.
A power nap 20 minutes every day has also a lot of benefits. It is also crucial in negotiations to make a conscious decision and limit the extreme load of information or distractions surrounding around you. Quality sleep, power naps, healthy lifestyle and meditation are definitely worth the time investment.
Our vision of traveling around the world is the right direction
To succeed in a global world, a global mindset is required. To develop global mindset you have to have an open mind, knowledge and a valuable international network. The wider our cultural spectrum is the better we will in decoding international world and connecting the dots. Learning or becoming familiar with foreign languages should be in today's complex world a main goal. It would be foolish to stay with our team in the Czech Republic and not travel.
Ludwig Wittgenstein, Australian philosopher said:
“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world”
Body Language
If you can read body language you will have better chance to detect if people lying or you will have better understanding of those you are dealing with. Also you will have a better control of situations you experience with them.
I have found the research of Albert Mehrabian very interesting. He divided communication into 3 elements:
Influencing others
Influencing others does not matter on winning a debate of ideas or proving the dominance of an intellect. Influence is gained by making people like you and finally trust you, so you can impact their decisions with your ideas. Influence connects power and warmth toward others.
“Never assume that the person you are dealing with is weaker or less important than you are.”
Persuasion
Maybe it's clear, but you first need to know what you are talking about…
You should know more than enough about what you are selling and avoid getting into unknown territories.
I honestly see myself in dialogues that when I'm well prepared for some topic I am more confident and credible.
How should we structure mindset to persuade and move others?
Our ideas should be:
What do I appreciate most about the book?
The book was well structured. It gave me a lot of thought to think about. There are a lot of techniques in the book that I will start to put in practice in our projects or in dialogues.
