Negotiating the way for Agile

Have you faced a lot of resistance from your peers and superiors regarding adopting Agile practices? Are you constantly applying workarounds for Waterfall practices? Your colleagues, your subordinates or your superiors are not accountable?

At this meetup we'll review how negotiation can help you gain necessary support for your initiative. There will be a quick review and prep and the following peer practice.

You probably think "Am I ready for this? I don't know much about negotiation!". Don't worry, you don't need to be prepared. They are simple and common tools that most of the executive leaders use to keep you working the way they want it. Now it's time to learn them and gear up for your growth and success!

Transcript

1. NEGOTIATING THE WAY FOR AGILE Tools to negotiate support for your Agile initiatives
2. About me • Scrum Professional, Agile Coach, Consultant • Helping companies with • Quality engineering practices • Organizational performance • Innovation • Wells Fargo, Optum, US Bank, Pearson • Founder of the Negotiation Practice Community • Crucial Conversations trainer COPYRIGHT © 2021 VLADIMIR BUSHIN | BUSHIN CONSULTING, LLC | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
3. Agenda: • Where Agile is blocked? (what do you think?) • Negotiation schools • Strategies & tactics • Simple negotiation strategy: Introductory calls • Simple negotiation tools: Labels and Mirrors • Questions and Answers • Not in scope: how to do the Agile transformation COPYRIGHT © 2021 VLADIMIR BUSHIN | BUSHIN CONSULTING, LLC | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
4. Exercise: Where Agile is blocked? • Mural exercise – the URL in the chat, 5 minutes • Add your ideas: • What Agile initiatives are not getting adopted in your group? • What is hard to put into practice? • Who and how blocked your Agile initiatives? COPYRIGHT © 2021 VLADIMIR BUSHIN | BUSHIN CONSULTING, LLC | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
5. What can help: • Start with NO by Jim Camp • Crucial Conversations & Crucial Accountability by Crucial Learning • Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss COPYRIGHT © 2021 VLADIMIR BUSHIN | BUSHIN CONSULTING, LLC | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
6. Negotiating Agile • Goals – what do we aim to get • Their interest and curiosity • Their understanding • Their openness and support • Strategy – how do we win in the long run • Network with influential people and establish relationships • Learn about their values, needs and pains • Position yourself as an expert and a visionary • Understand at which level the problem sits • Tell them back about their problem in numbers • Take a challenge and make a promise • Tactics – ways to achieve the results • Apply the negotiation tools and active listening • Quantify things, describe problems in numbers • Project competence COPYRIGHT © 2021 VLADIMIR BUSHIN | BUSHIN CONSULTING, LLC | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
7. Introduction call - networking To get in touch with the influential people. Reach out to them and introduce yourself. • Negotiate 15 minutes of their time for an introductory call • During the call tell them what you do (mission and purpose) • Ask what is the biggest challenge they need solved • Be curious: why this challenge exists? • Don’t offer solutions yet – it won’t be effective The skill: COPYRIGHT © 2021 VLADIMIR BUSHIN | BUSHIN CONSULTING, LLC | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
8. Exercise: Negotiating for 15 min call Craft your own message and share – 3 people, 5 minutes Keep it short! Example of an email: • I’m <your name>, I work in <your group> • I <am new here>/<work here for a while>/<heard about you> and wanted to introduce myself. I’d like to learn about your perspective <on the bigger goals>/<about bigger picture of our goals>. • Is it a crazy idea to ask you for a 15 minutes introductory call? COPYRIGHT © 2021 VLADIMIR BUSHIN | BUSHIN CONSULTING, LLC | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
9. Exploring the landscape - Labeling • Labeling (Chris Voss) • It seems like <XYZ> is important to you? • It looks like <XYZ> is bothering you for a while? • It feels like <XYZ> is the only way we figured out? • It sounds like the <XYZ> issue is caused by something else? The skill: COPYRIGHT © 2021 VLADIMIR BUSHIN | BUSHIN CONSULTING, LLC | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
10. Exercise: Vacation plan 2 people, 5 minutes, one person practices, another person replies Then rotate • Negotiator starts from “what is your next vacation plan?” • Wait for a reply • Make labels • Seems like you … • Feels like … • Sounds like … • Looks like … COPYRIGHT © 2021 VLADIMIR BUSHIN | BUSHIN CONSULTING, LLC | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
11. Reflecting on body language or tone of voice - Mirrors • Mirrors (Crucial Learning) • You look puzzled • By the way you look I feel you have a different opinion • You look like this topic is not comfortable for you • You say you don’t care but by the way you say it I feel this is important to you The skill: COPYRIGHT © 2021 VLADIMIR BUSHIN | BUSHIN CONSULTING, LLC | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
12. Exercise: Extra work 2 people, 5 minutes, one person practices, another person helps Then rotate You (negotiator) adding work to your partner. She doesn’t like it but doesn’t say it. You observe body language and facial expression. Comment on it and be empathetic. • Start from “There’s additional work coming up your way. This needs to get done by tomorrow.” • Hear the reply or wait • Make 1 statement observing body language COPYRIGHT © 2021 VLADIMIR BUSHIN | BUSHIN CONSULTING, LLC | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
13. Thank you! And Q&A • Vladimir Bushin: • Ask me a question via email: vb@bushinconsulting.com • Read my blog at my website: https://bushinconsulting.com/ • Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladimirbushin/ • Join my meetup: https://www.meetup.com/successful-agilist/ • Text me or call me if you need help: 612-644-6065 • Negotiation Practice Community: • Join LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13873133/ • Visit website: http://www.negotiationpracticecommunity.com/ • Read blog: http://www.humblenegotiator.com/ COPYRIGHT © 2021 VLADIMIR BUSHIN | BUSHIN CONSULTING, LLC | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED