Spinning in Their Graves
A recent statistic caught my eye and made me smile. 23% of fatal motor accidents in one US State were found to be alcohol related. This means, said the newspaper report, that 77% of fatal motoring accidents were caused by idiots who drink coffee, fizzy drinks, fruit juice, and stuff like that. SO KEEP OUT OF THEIR WAY!!
We all know that politicians spend too much of their time ‘spinning’ information; putting a gloss on bad news and talking up good news to help their message. Consumer TV programs bring Customer Services Managers to face the music after demonstrating individual cases of how they have let down customers, but rather than addressing these problem cases we hear them give an assurance that ‘99.5% of our customers are happy’. Irritating, isn’t it?
Negotiators are in danger of the same mistake. Blatant perversion of the facts, or presentation of the facts, is transparent and counterproductive. The more you spin, the less you are believed, the less you are trusted, and the more unlikely is a deal. But good negotiators do look for a positive angle to the information they disclose, to minimize the areas of difficulty and difference between the parties, and present information which will lead resolution rather than an increase in the conflict.
An example from my 5 year old niece, on holiday with the family and me during the summer. Trying to persuade me to stay and play in the (very bracing) sea longer than I wished, she offered to tell her Mum and Dad that I was her favorite Uncle, if I just stayed for another 5 minutes.
I am her only Uncle.