Negotiations
Training
Dealing
with Dominant Personalities
Negotiation Personalities: Chargers
Throughout our
career, we will have the opportunity to deal
with individuals who exhibit every type of personality under
the sun. Over time, we'll come across some people who are a real
pleasure to deal with while others are as friendly as a pack or
rabid pit bulls. Since individuals communicate
in different ways and have varying needs, it helps for negotiators
to understand how to deal with different personalities. In general,
there are four dominant
personality types that we are likely to encounter at the
negotiating table. It helps to recognize these personality types
in order to meet their particular needs and understand the types
of interactions we are likely to face during discussions.
The first personality
type we will talk about is The Charger.
Chargers are
seen by some as typifying the "old school" management
and business style. These are individuals who come from the
old "command and control" school of thought. They are
most concerned with getting their way, increasing their amount of
power and walking away from the negotiating
table with the absolute best deal. Chargers are often found
in the executive ranks as well as in lower level positions as some
people who "think" they have more power than they have
like to act in a dominant and aggressive way. Chargers tend to:
* Assume that
their way is the best or only way. Exert influence on others or
the situation through the use of power
* Enjoy building or enhancing their reputation
* Focus on status or personal achievement
* Try to control
the situation
* "Tell" more than listen
* Dismiss ideas that aren't theirs
As you can imagine,
chargers can be a handful. There are times when these individuals
are difficult and downright unreasonable negotiators. They have
a tendency to make big
demands and, rather than compromising, can actually increase
what they want or expect. For the most part, they want to take control
of the situation and
have a negotiation weighed heavily on their terms. If they don't,
they feel exploited and defeated... something they avoid
at all costs.
Some DOs and
DONTs of dealing with a charger include:
DON'T...
DO...
- steer them
towards your ideas so they think they came up with them
- acknowledge
their authority or status
- ask
their opinion or insight
- provide options
rather than sticking
with one solution or proposal
- refer to
them by their title (when appropriate)
- give them
credit when it makes sense
In a sense,
these are individuals that need their ego stroked. The last thing
you want to do is put them down or make them feel like you are questioning
their status or authority. They want to wield their power and, in
a way, you have to let them perceive that this is the case.
|
