Like a lot of my colleagues and friends, I’ve been watching the goings on across the “Canadian Ocean” with increasing concern. I’ve had sleepless nights worrying for the American people who have re-elected someone who seems, from the outside looking in, to be lacking some fundamental leadership skills.
But then I realised that, of course,
Trainers’ Library has materials that can help bridge those gaps and thereby help restore world order!
You can thank us later. A knighthood you say? No, I couldn’t. Oh, go on then.
Negotiation Skills
The first materials I’d like to draw President Trump’s attention to are some of those around Negotiation Skills:
President Trump is a fan of negotiation from a position of power and of using that power to entrench himself in positions that initially, at least, appear fixed. And he likes to engage in psychological warfare.
This activity uses the very simple scenario of a house purchase (it could just as easily be a golf resort) to illustrate the fundamental problems that come with this approach, which include:
- A complete breakdown of trust.
- Each party entrenching themselves in positions it’s difficult to move from without losing credibility.
- The domination of ego, which promotes over talking, makes collaboration almost impossible and means that, rather than seeking win-win, the focus is on winning and causing the other person to lose. (With egos on both sides, and no-one liking to lose, this is a recipe for disaster.)
- Negotiators using unconstructive and sometimes divisive and/or abusive language.
- Future negotiations (and we often have to negotiate with the same people again) becoming much harder.
Island of Opportunity is an exercise I wrote a few years ago, which has been used in many organisations around the world to powerfully illustrate the benefits of negotiation based on relationship.
It imagines a scenario where different tribes, or communities, need to agree how to share an island (it could just as easily be a planet). Each community has different beliefs, needs and wants. By understanding these needs, it’s possible to find a solution where everyone wins. Interestingly, these solutions often involve some mutually beneficial trading arrangements built on trust and respect.
But again, if islanders focus solely on their own needs, difficulties will emerge.
Silo Mentalities
The second set of materials I’d like to draw attention to are those that demonstrate the dangers of a silo mentality and illustrate the importance and benefits of teamwork.
Many years ago, I watched a documentary where two children were given a simple game to play. If they co-operated, they’d win sweets; if they didn’t, well they’d both go away empty handed. It inspired this, one of our most popular activities. If individuals play as individuals focused on winning for themselves, everyone loses. The clever teams will spot that they are all working for the same team and that by working together, they can achieve a positive result for everyone. I mean, really great, tremendous results.
This activity combines the earlier lessons around negotiation skills and those around teamwork. In it, each department must negotiate with other departments in their organisation in order to gain the parts they need to achieve their goals. Will they succeed? Or will deceit and mistrust mean failure for everyone?
My latest team building game feels like it was written for the times we’re in. It’s a fun board game (which might provide welcome relief from the stresses of running a country). Teams drive a bus around the streets of Masswell (or it could be Washington), aiming to stop at the right bus stops so they can collect their passengers. The problem is, where they end up isn’t just dependent on what they do, but on what the other drivers do too. They might help, or they might not. And there’s always a puncture card to play if another team is really annoying you!
So, there you go, a small selection of our unique and experiential training materials that I think could be useful to President Trump. There are loads more I’d like to recommend, but what do you think? Good start?
Final note: This blog is written with tongue in cheek and makes light of current difficulties, but the point is, the right experiences and the right training at the right time can make a real difference to behaviours and outcomes.
Sadly, the value effective learning and development brings to organisations is often invisible or unnoticed. It’s absence though, when it’s missing, is not!