7.3. YOUR BOSS AS YOUR WORST ENEMY
The most dangerous person to take on the role of negotiator in any organisation is the person with the most authority – usually the boss. The person who can say 'yes' and knows that they are able to do so is more likely to do so and under pressure they often do. If you have you ever attended a meeting alongside your boss you may well have experienced the following typical and yet frustrating scenario.
It is your client relationship but your boss wants to sit in for whatever reason. The meeting starts and you set out to discuss some of the challenging issues with your client, and then your boss starts to take over. Before you know it, your client and your boss are fully engaged in the discussion, they start exploring solutions and ultimately concessions are traded that you would not have been empowered to offer yourself. Your boss still thinks that they are doing the right thing and a great job at that. What has happened though is that your boss is as keen as you are to resolve the issue. They are however more empowered (which as we know, makes them more dangerous). Before long, your boss has concluded the meeting having built an agreement. Your boss has probably involved you along the way, yet may even have undermined your relationship and credibility with your client. Guess who the client asks to see at the next meeting?
Your boss may be highly skilled, have tremendous nerve and be very capable of managing relationships. However, they have a ...
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