Eyes on the Prize

The commander had committed one of the worst gaffs you can make at any stage in a negotiation, but one that is absolutely fatal at the closing. He forgot to focus on his goal, and instead shifted his attention to his tactics.

Let’s call it Dominick’s Rule of Eyes on the Prize:

Focus on the result, not the cigarettes or patter that gets you there.

Or another way of putting it: Be flexible in your tactics, but firm in your goal.

Ideally, as the negotiation works down to those few last points at the closing, the other members of the team should be in a position to step back and see what’s been achieved and what’s left to talk about. Ideally, a break should be scheduled for a review, and the commander should physically remove himself to a quiet space and review the situation. (I can hear some of you thinking, Hey, Tahiti’s nice this time of year.) Realistically, the scope of the negotiation may not allow you to call a long time-out, let alone hop a plane for the South Pacific. The important thing is to step back, examine what’s already been agreed to, what the hang-ups are, and review the goal. The goal should be tantamount.