Contract Negotiations  Negotiating a TV Contract Using the Segue  In Oslo, Norway, a coaching agency had developed a proposal for a reality TV series for young people transforming their lives using the support of skilled coaches. On the morning of the initial contract negotiations between the coaching agency and the TV production company, everyone, including the production executive team, was anxious. For these experienced business people, contract negotiating had typically proven contentious and difficult, with each side defending their turf while prying whatever concessions they could from the other.  In this case, both sides were willing to experiment with a novel approach since the alternative would clearly be painful, draining and time consuming. We introduced how the Segue worked, and with everyone’s agreement, arranged the chairs in a circle.  The three questions they settled on for the Segue were What is one thing that would make this project wonderful for you? What would that do for you personally? What would that do for us?  At the end of two hours, all the details of timing, financing, compensation, who was responsible for what, scripting and strategies to resolve future conflicts had been settled. No one had to compromise. Neither side had to settle for less. And in the process, everyone gained a clear sense of the people they would be working with over the next few months. Trust was high because an environment of speaking directly and listening without judgment had been practiced.  The CEO of the TV production company said it was the fastest and most enjoyable contract negotiation she had ever witnessed, and that she would use the Segue for designing contracts in the future. She treated us all to lunch.

Click Links Below Uses    Contract Negotiations Tips     Forming Questions #1     Forming Questions #2 - Use the Segue

Forming Questions #1 A key initial step in using QDL for problem solving is reframing the problem as a question.  Asking "What is the question?" in response to a problem statement shifts the focus away from default, reaction-type responses toward question-driven thinking. This opens the problem to deeper investigation of the root causes and broader participation by team members. For example, if a business is receiving feedback about poor relations with their customers, the question they might choose to work with could be, "What is one thing that can be done to improve customer relations?" Forming Questions #2 - Use the Segue The Segue is not only the basic workgroup tool for developing possible approaches to solving problems, but can also be used to formulate and refine the core questions that need to be addressed.