1.
Own up to the specific negative. Be honest with yourself. It may be
something you yourself are concerned about or it may be an objection others have
raised or seem likely to raise. Understand the potential downside: to yourself
and to the others involved.
2. List as many positives as you can come up with about the
negative, for yourself or for others.
3. Ask yourself if the negative exists because of a
potential positive. "The report will be late because it's going to take me
longer to write one that's sure to get the appropriation." Without the
negative (the delay) there is no positive (the certainty of receiving the
money).
4. Ask yourself if the negative actually is a potential
positive. Clyde Thompson's unemployability could be shown to make him a more
dedicated and more committed—and therefore more desirable—employee. Thus the
negative (unemployability) becomes a positive. Or at least it's integral to a
positive (a more desirable employee).
5. Ask yourself if the very existence of the negative is evidence
of a positive. "Our professional fees are much higher than the
competition's. And why are our clients willing to pay the extra money? Because
we deliver superior results." The positive (superior results) can be
deduced from the negative (higher fees).
6. Ask yourself if you can brag about the situation on
balance, negative and all. "Yes, boss, I'm probably the worst shooter
of any guard in the league. But I deserve $7.6 million a year because I never
turn the ball over, and I'm one of the best playmakers you'll ever find. Bottom
line: the team will score a lot more points with me than without me." Even
if there's nothing positive to say about being a terrible shooter, on balance
the picture is extremely positive. (Whether it’s worth $7.6 million is not my
call.)
7. Ask yourself what you can bring to the situation so you can
brag about it with complete honesty. "I know my people have let you down in
the past. And with the transition we're going through, until we get them all
properly trained I can't promise they won't let you down again. But I'm going to
oversee the re-structuring personally. And let me remind you how successful my
track record is. And why I can guarantee we're going to finish on time and below
budget." You become the difference between a negative and a positive
situation.
8. If none of the above works, the negative simply isn't
braggable. You need to add water to the glass: which means you need to find a
way to create a better deal.
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© Copyright Barry Maher, Helendale, California; Las Vegas, Nevada
