Business
When you think about it, navigating your life is a series of negotiations. In the course of a day, you may try to influence: Your new puppy to use the restroom outside Your customer to buy your product Your kid to brush his teeth Your neighbor to vote for your candidate Your boss to support your project How can you undertake these challenges with integrity, not force, and make all involved (especially the new puppy) feel like they got a win too? Bob Burg, the successful author of such classic books at The Go-Givers and Endless Referrals, tackles this challenge in his latest, and he argues most important book to date, Adversaries into Allies: Win People Over Without Manipulation or Coercion. In the book, Bob lays out a way to approach negotiations and differences in business, and life, in a way that is mutually supportive and respectful. In this conversation, Bob and I talk about how our national political discourse (and resulting actions) might look radically different if we took the time to focus on the motivation behind our beliefs, rather than name-calling. We also talk about how to set personal boundaries without being rude, and handle negotiations in a win-win manner. Bob says this is his most important book to date, and I agree. I hope that millions of people buy and read the book, resulting in a kinder, more effective and productive society.