Hey everyone, Timothy Chester here, and welcome back to Misc Promos. Today, I wanna dig into something that, honestly, gets overlooked way too often in negotiation—listening. Not just hearing words, but really listening. You know, it's funny, because when people think about negotiation, they picture someone talking fast, making their case, maybe even dominating the conversation. But, in my experience, the real power? It comes from listening. I mean, think about it—when was the last time you felt truly heard in a meeting? Not just nodded at, but like someone actually got what you were saying? That feeling builds trust, and trust is the currency of any successful negotiation. I might be wrong, but I think we sometimes get so caught up in what we wanna say next, or how we're gonna counter, that we miss the gold in what the other person is actually telling us. Active listening—it's not just a buzzword. It's about picking up on what’s not being said, the stuff between the lines. Sometimes, the real issue isn’t what’s on the agenda. It’s the unspoken concerns, the hesitations, the things people are maybe a little afraid to say out loud. And if you’re not listening for those, you’re negotiating blind. Let me give you a real example from my CIO days. We were rolling out a new IT system—one of those big, campus-wide projects that, well, nobody really loves at first. Faculty were, uh, let’s just say, not thrilled. There was a lot of pushback, and honestly, I could have just powered through, made my case, and tried to win the argument. But instead, I decided to just listen. I set up these open forums, and I told everyone, “Look, I’m not here to defend the project. I just wanna hear what’s on your mind.” And, wow, the things that came out! It wasn’t just about the technology. It was about fears of losing autonomy, worries about how the change would affect their teaching, even some old frustrations with IT from years back. By listening—really listening—we were able to address those concerns directly. We tweaked the rollout, offered more training, and, most importantly, showed that we valued their input. The whole tone shifted. What started as a battle turned into a partnership. So, if there’s one thing I hope you take away from this episode, it’s that listening isn’t passive. It’s the most active thing you can do at the negotiation table. It uncovers hidden interests, builds trust, and, honestly, it just makes you a better leader. Alright, that’s it for today. Next time, we’ll dig even deeper into some practical listening techniques you can use right away. Until then, keep your ears open—and, uh, maybe your mouth a little less so. Thanks for listening.

Episodes

Unlocking Negotiation Power with Listening