While there are many resources that focus on efficiency and productivity (how to do the same work but faster), this video teaches you the valuable but less common techniques that focus on decreasing the amount of work that you need to do in the first place.
My Favorite Negotiation Books
I started studying negotiation tactics about five years ago and I have absolutely no doubt that that research has been the most valuable (in terms of money) investment that I have ever made. Like I mentioned in the video, effective negotiations can make you more money in 20 seconds than you would be able to make through bonuses throughout an entire year. The following two books are what I consider to be the most “bang for your buck” resources on negotiation tactics:
- Getting To Yes (Paperback) – Kindle Version – In my opinion, this is the single best resource on the topic.
- Difficult Conversations – An alternative if you want a differing perspective.
Video Notes:
One Step Blocker
This is my favorite of the three methods. When someone asks you to do something that you think is unnecessary, simply add a one step blocker and chances are they won’t have the follow through to waste your time.
Difficult but Important
Find the tasks that difficult and important but no one else wants to do them. This way, instead of competing with everyone else over the popular tasks, you can do less work with no competition while providing a huge amount of value. See this post by Cal Newport on how to take this to the next step.
Brutal Negotiations
Get over being a jerk. Effective negotiations are the single most powerful tool you have for increasing pay while decreasing work.
You are not done yet! Now you need to put these tactics into action!
Now is the time to turn your thoughts into action! Go to you e-mail inbox now and use the One Step Blocker technique to combat at least one request you receive via e-mail. Remember, a lighter workload starts with a small first step.
