I remember being second guessed after negotiating a significant contract.
My company decided to outsource a function that we were not doing well. The thought was, “let’s get someone to do this who knows how to do it.” We found a company who was successfully achieving outstanding results as an outsourcer for others.
I was given the task of negotiating the contract for the work. I had never negotiated a contract, and this was important, so I sought the advice of a friend whose entire job was negotiating contracts.
My friend told me that two elements were required for a successful negotiation. The first was preparation, and the second was the ability to keep in mind that a successful negotiation comes about when both sides get what they need to succeed.
I prepared by asking my boss what the absolute must-haves were for us. We also discussed what the contractor would likely be seeking and how we could afford what they need. We discussed other smaller items that might come up and how important they were. I felt confident I had followed my friend’s advice.
The negotiation was friendly but intense. Clearly, this was not the first rodeo for the other company. After several full days of negotiating, we came to an agreement.
We achieved an agreement that would ensure our goals, and the new partner was happy as well. I was feeling pretty good about the product until my boss began to ask why I had not included little items, which were not really important and would be irritants to our partner. None would add real value for us but would not be in the spirit of a partnership.
You don’t poke your business partner just to show them who is boss, but that was being suggested. It reminded me of a dog marking his territory.
I was furious. However, I didn’t say what I was thinking because my critic was my boss. The criticism passed, and the contract turned out very well for both companies. I keep thinking about Teddy Roosevelt’s great quote in part, “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is in the arena.” I am telling this story because it keeps coming to mind as we watch second-guessing every day.
The negotiators who brought Brittany Griner home are being second-guessed by people who were not involved and certainly were not there. Everything this administration does is dissected and criticized. To be fair, during the previous administration, the former president was also second guessed relentlessly.
Both parties are focused on dishonesty, certainly not fair analysis. The game by politicians and pundits is to find clever ways to disrespect their political opponents. There is surely no partnership. In fact, the focus is political gamesmanship, not problem solving.
Second-guessing also has become a sport as we second-guess our favorite teams. People who have never played football still know who to fire. Everywhere there are those who second guess sports teams, business leaders and especially government officials.
As Teddy Roosevelt suggests, the real heroes are those who take on the accountability of leadership, not those who second-guess them. Tom Nichols, in his book, “The death of expertise,” suggests that a little bit of knowledge, obtained online, makes us believe we know better than the experts.
As to fixing the Broncos, since my own expertise comes from playing quarterback in sixth grade, I think I’ll let the new owners fix the Broncos. I will not second-guess.
Jim Rohrer of Evergreen is a business consultant and author of the books “Improve Your Bottom Line … Develop MVPs Today” and “Never Lose Your Job … Become a More Valuable Player.” Jim’s belief is that common sense is becoming less common. Contact Jim at jim.rohrer2@gmail.com.