I just love the Paralympics. In my decades of working in, playing and watching sport, I believe nothing teaches us more about understanding the power and need for sport in our community, than the Paralympics.
Back in my corporate days, I attended every sort of sporting event and awards night, from the Dally M, the Brownlow, to the Swimmer / Netballer / Cricketer / Athlete / Olympian of the Year and many more. But the one I looked forward to the most, was the Paralympian of the Year, because it always provided a masterclass in human resilience, adaptability, and triumph. Without fail, each Paralympian of the Year event was an opportunity to put things in my world into perspective, and revel in the success of some truly incredible humans. 🏅
Every four years, when the Paralympics are help, we all get to hear remarkable stories of determination, creativity and connectedness, combined with lots of gratitude, joy, and love. It really is something special.
The Paralympic Games experience is vastly different from many other sporting events, as it’s…
- less about just winning, less about just sound bites for the media, and less about just the medals.
Instead, it’s…
- more about the road towards something amazing,
- more about the ‘village’ of those involved in the experience,
- more about playing based on ability,
- and more about taking it all in with pride, appreciation and joy for the whole experience – and sharing all of it with everyone who wants to be part of it.
As I’ve been watching these extraordinary athletes compete with such glee, I feel it would be remiss of me not to draw your attention to some powerful lessons that apply directly to negotiating. Because your ability to influence and negotiate is dramatically enhanced when you can view the world through different lenses and understand situations from other people’s perspectives.
Let’s explore just a few ways in which the spirit of the Paralympics can elevate our negotiation skills and strategies.
1. Your dream team – build your ‘village’
Paralympic athletes rely on a vast support network, including coaches, medical professionals, family, teammates and more. Every athlete’s ‘village’ was mentioned A LOT during the Games, emphasising how much this network contributes to the success of each athlete’s road to the Paralympics. I feel this clip really moving as it gives us an understanding of what their role means.
Negotiation Lesson: Working with your ‘village’ can mean you don’t have to feel alone when you’re preparing for a negotiation.
Build and leverage a strong support network, including your mentors, colleagues, subject matter experts, friends and family who can provide you with different perspectives as different situations come up. Before a crucial negotiation identify who can offer valuable insights, advice, or support for THAT negotiation. Cultivate these relationships and lean on them when you need to – people love to help, so give them the opportunity to do that for you.
2. Think differently: creative and adaptive problem-solving
Paralympic athletes and their teams often need to creatively adapt techniques and/or equipment to suit their abilities, enabling them to participate in their sport of choice. This ingenuity makes each sport unique and interesting to watch, and it’s fascinating to ponder how they came up with the solution. You can’t help but appreciate that if someone loves a sport enough to explore how to work with their strengths, this is something to lean into.
Negotiation Lesson: If you hit a roadblock in your next negotiation, take a step back and brainstorm unconventional approaches, challenge yourself to think differently.
You may need to do some introspective reflection first to identify the strengths you are bringing to the table, and where there are ‘holes’ that need to be reframed or looked at from alternative perspectives. The solution might not be obvious at first, but with innovative thinking, you can often find a way forward.
3. Beyond the win: embrace pride, gratitude, and fun
Paralympians so often express profound gratitude and pride, regardless of their final ranking. They celebrate personal bests and the journey itself, not just medals. And no matter how many interviews and stories you watch during the Games, the fun associated with being involved is so front and centre – even the TV hosts and crew seem to enjoy themselves a whole lot.
Negotiation Lesson: Don’t just focus on the ‘job’ of negotiating.
However, these situations provide you with an opportunity to view yourself and your abilities with pride – for what you achieve on your own, as well as for those you represent (staff, business, family and friends).
They can also help you realise how grateful you are for those who are open to having healthy discussions about what’s possible and have a willingness to work with you to overcome challenges, together.
AND, if you approach them the right way, you can enjoy the process. Things won’t always be easy, or pain-free, but through it all there are opportunities to laugh and have fun with those you are going through this with.
So, as the sun goes down over Paris on the 2024 Paralympics take some time to reflect on what the Paralympian spirit and the #Paris2024 #AusParalympics team campaign theme #ImagineWhatWeCanDo has taught you.
Take the Paralympian inspired Negotiation Challenge:
For your next negotiation, choose one lesson from above and apply it with the same determination as a Paralympian would. Let us know how you go!
If you want support to upskill or work through a specific negotiation, let’s chat about how the Other Side team can join your ‘village’ to help you achieve your goals. Get in touch HERE.
