The manager runs a makeshift book club with some colleagues, and he figured that Chris’ book would be an excellent conversation starter.
It was—to the point that the manager and a colleague decided that they needed to go to one of Black Swan’s live events, which was taking place halfway across the country in New York City.
“Using Black Swan techniques, we were able to get the budget approved.”
While reading the book, the manager was drawn to the concept of tactical empathy—or consciously using empathy in a negotiation to see things from your counterpart’s point of view.
“My strengths are in controlling the outcome and the situation. I can puppeteer and navigate to get the outcomes we’re aiming for,” the manager says. “But I deploy the same skill set over and over again.”
After reading up on tactical empathy, the manager decided it was time to develop a new skill that would help him become an even more effective negotiator.
“Tactical empathy allowed me to get the same results with a different approach—one that was completely focused on our customers and their needs,” he explains.