The Real Objective of Each Player
A business is far from perfect: Even when all its personnel share the same positive outlook and are committed to shared success, their respective responsibilities and positions within the organization mean that each individual will pursue her own specific objectives.
The logistics manager must stipulate the main specifications to be met by equipment for use on the packaging line. If we imagine that his principal concern is a major project to build a new assembly workshop, he is probably hoping that the packaging deal will make smooth progress without taking up too much of his time.
The packaging workshop supervisor may, for his part, want to improve the performance levels achieved by his lines: He will not meet his targets if his workers have to waste time adjusting the equipment four or five times a day after every change in packaging format.
In contrast, it is not difficult to imagine that his workers will take a distinctly unfavorable view of the installation of new equipment that does away with manual calibration, thus robbing them of one of the tasks that give them some job satisfaction. They want to preserve a job that interests them.
As for the quality director, she may wish to harmonize working practices across the company’s different sites, given the number of changes that are being introduced.
Let us now imagine that the manager of another plant (in Germany, say) is hoping to show the way forward and serve as a role model for his colleague, persuading him to adopt the technical solution he has so successfully introduced.
The technical manager of the maintenance company may want the equipment to be of a standard design to avoid having to give his technicians time off to attend dedicated training courses.
Let us assume that cost cutting is the plant manager’s priority. This is not the right time to invest too heavily in new equipment, unless, of course, it offers the prospect of rapid improvements in productivity.
Let us imagine that the objective of the newly appointed buyer is to show that by negotiating over price she can add value compared to the purchases made by her predecessors, who did not really have to deal with competitive procurement.
We might imagine that her PA would like to use this project to improve the somewhat tense working relations between the purchasing department and production.
Let us assume that the customer’s main customer is asking for greater responsiveness in the delivery of packaging in different formats, which impacts the packaging business.
One of your competitors (let us call them Manuland) is the supplier of the existing packaging equipment. They are trying to retain their customer.
Your other competitor (let us call them Killer plc) is trying, at all costs, to find a way to do business with this customer; their equipment is of good quality but its reliability is unproven.
In theory, your company is well placed, as it is the one that supplied the equipment to the German plant. Your company is currently seeking to improve its profitability by cutting costs and protecting its selling prices despite downward pressure from the competition.
In this example we can see that each party is pursuing legitimate but highly specific objectives. In order to identify each party’s objectives, you need to establish a trusting and attentive relationship with your partners, thus encouraging them to “be open with you,” the aim being for you to provide assistance and support.
You need to be inquisitive, ask questions, try to meet people you do not know, and (if the negotiating climate permits) encourage each of them to talk about the others: “So in your view, how does your quality manager see this deal?”
It is sometimes very difficult to meet certain players in a deal in progress. That is why it is useful to prepare the ground in advance through “courtesy visits,” thereby establishing contacts with the various managers that can be reactivated at the appropriate moment.