13th January 2012
Most negotiators know how important it is to distinguish between the monkey and the organ grinder in a negotiation.
In a deal, it’s the organ grinder who holds the real power. It’s the organ grinder who calls the turn, sets the bottom line and approves concession. The monkey may do most of the talking and project authority, but the real power lies with the organ grinder.
Distinguishing between the monkey and the organ grinder is not always easy. I have worked in a number of deals where the organ grinder likes to create the impression that s/he is a secondary player.
Sometimes you can distinguish between the monkey and the organ grinder in a negotiation by looking out for body language signals that indicate who defers to who. The monkey invariably defers to the organ grinder by using deferential language and relatively submissive body language.
Read this newspaper clipping that reports on Russia’s under-performance in the 2010 Winter Olympics:
“Russia suffered its worst ever Olympic performance, coming 11th in the medal table with just three golds. Mr. Medvedev said that the trainers and coaches who had prepared Russian athletes for the Vancouver games ’should take the brave decision and submit their resignations,’ he said. ‘If they cannot do it, we will help them,’ Mr. Medevdev added.”
When the hapless trainers and coaches later resigned, do you think they did it voluntarily or were they sacked? Were they persuaded to resign or were they coerced?
When it came to making decisions over Russia’s Olympic programme, Medvedev was the organ grinder. In the end, the coaches were monkeys.
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