Power Negotiations Through Coercion or Inspiration

Negotiations are a natural part of life. Most of us do it without conscious awareness. We negotiate with our partners, friends, co-workers, mechanic, children and just about everyone else. Power is still a major factor in all negotiations but is not always the deciding factor. The type of power used will often determine how the negotiations will run but doesn't always determine the outcomes.

There are two main types of power; coercive and non-coercive. Coercive power is often used in power over situations while non-coercive power is used in power with situations. One seeks to create power over individuals through negative consequences while the other creates power with people through inspiration.

Coercive Power: If you don't do this I will do this! A reward and punishment system. For example, someone who is physically bigger than you or who has a weapon could simply force you do do something physically. It may even take the form of formal power where your boss tells you to do something and the consequences of not doing it are not worth it.

Non-coercive Power:Non-coercive power is based in the ability to get people to believe in what you are doing and follow your lead. For example, information helps people make better decisions while force might ensure enough sustaining power to get a job done. People follow because they believe in the vision and power is used appropriately to make things happen.

It is possible to approach each problem with coercive or non-coercive power. Culturally we believe heavily in the coercive method but sometimes it is counterproductive.  As a general approach, non-coercive power leads to better decisions, open debate that is akin to democracy, knowledge sharing, and more collaborators. Coercive power should be used when no other option is available and parties refuse to negotiate in good faith.

Negotiations can use coercive or non-coercive power to come to a resolution. The general process of negotiating is non-coercive but people still reserve the right to strike or walk out of negotiations. The ballistic approach sometimes works but may also be counterproductive if the other side simply cuts their loses and begins to find alternative strategies to minimize the long-term power of their opponent. Non-coercive power seeks to find a balance where both parties agree making a longer-term arrangement.

When Free Trade Agreements can Help San Diego's Economy Bear Fruit

Trade Deals can be or not be beneficial depending on their design and the economic environment in which they are enacted. An article entitled Trans-Pacific trade pact benefits San Diego by Jerry Sanders in San Diego Union-Tribune does a pretty good job outlining the benefits of a trade deal and its potential impact on the San Diego Economy. The level benefits of any trade agreement rests on a few things that San Diego must have to maximize its opportunities.   

When Businesses Crave Access to New Markets: Local businesses must want new markets. Opening up the international market affords an opportunity to sell more products, create more revenue, expand operations and hire more people. There must be a growing need to find new markets. 

When We are More Competitive than Other Locations: One of the reasons why countries use tariffs is to protect their weaker businesses and encourage them to grow to a competitive positions. China is great at this. If San Diego Business are developed, can produce a market-driven product, and have a working business model they can compete on the international market.

When We Need Access to New Resources: Innovation produces new products that need cheaper resources for mass production. Trade agreements can provide access to new resources at prices not found locally therefore making the products more competitive. Growing countries need resources to feed their business expansion plans.

 When the Agreement is a Net Plus for the Economy: The numbers are important in this case. Economics and number crunchers will need to determine whether or not we will expand or shrink our economy under an agreement. Some places will be losers while others will be winners.

When Local Technology and Skills are High: If locals have unique skills that have demand on the international market and access to the technology to produce the next generation products such trade agreements make sense. The area itself must be competitive and unique when compared to other places.

When Local Universities Draw Talent and Innovation: Local universities draw talent and innovation from other places. Graduates settle in the area when jobs are plentiful further feeding intellectual capital needs. Universities create new products and ideas for market consumption.

When Investment Will Match New Opportunities: When the market shifts due to new trade agreements it is an opportune time for hubs to market their investment opportunities. New resources, expansion, and new intellectual knowledge draws new investments. Investment sources should be expanded.

When Local Government Can Manage to an International Community: Local government and its effectiveness in understanding and managing across genders, races, origins, and localities depends on its developmental level. Government includes policing, services, policies and the intellectual abilities of people in power. Diverse populations and people from other places will want to trust the government to be fair and transparent in decisions and the information leading to those decisions.

When the Business Community Can Work Together: When the local business community can work together to maximize their opportunities and expand the economic engine. This includes marketing the area, partnership in government, encouraging investments, pushing for pro-business policies, and better management of the region.

Image and Impression in Sales and Business

In sales image and impression are everything. How people perceive the business person determines whether or not they trust them and if they should make a purchase. In business this impression is also important as people judge each other within the first few minutes of meeting. It is these first impression images you have to worry about as they will last a long time. Enhancing your impression is important for sowing the deal.

It may or may not be fair to be judged quickly by a first impression. Unfortunately, this is they way in which most people's brains work. They simply take a quick look and assessment, compare that to their experiences, and make a judgement. Changing that judgement is very difficult so improving your first impression is important for business success.

Considering that we are a little mentally lazy we go with impressions because they are quick heuristics. A person wearing a Rolex and driving a Mercedes will certainly look more financially secure than someone driving a Timex and a Ford Escort. As we have learned from books like the Millionaire Next Door it is the later who may be on the better financial track and have a bigger bank account.

Regardless, first impressions can make or break the deal. This is especially true if the two business partners don't know each other well or have limited time and resources to dig further into the character of the person. Those who know how to dress and present themselves will naturally do much better than those who don't.

Dress up for work. Wear a suit, tie, black/brown shoes, and appropriate shirt with color. If you work in a casual environment then clash casual and professional to upgrade without going too far. Shine your shoes and make sure you have the right watch. Get a hair cut and think about upgrading your car. The rest....well....no one knows the difference. 

Playing Sports to Get in Shape

Sports are a great way to keep you interested in your fitness goals. The type of sport depends on your interest and what you want to accomplish. If you don't know what type of sport you should play then go ahead and explore. The different muscles and activities will likely push your body to change quickly.

Repetitive exercise is not only not good for you but it can get boring. We see how quickly people get redundant when they start a fitness routine and then quit within a few weeks or months do to lack of interest and life distractions. Mixing traditional exercises with sports can help alleviate this boredom.

Let us say you are on a hardcore workout routine. You go to the gym and mix in your cardio and weights. Your workouts are stagnant and don't seem to give you a well rounded fitness. This is when augmenting your gym work with sports can be helpful.

The type of sport is less important than playing. If you want to mimic sprinting join soccer, basketball or volley ball. If you are trying to gain coordination and upper body strength try boxing. If you want to lose weight and have fun then downhill sill or surf. The options are up to you.

Exercise doesn't need to be stressful or full of all the things we project onto it. This is in your head. Exercise can be social, fun, relaxing, or intense. The type of exercise you choose should complement  your personality. Try and do things you find fun and enjoy doing them more.

Ethnic Shopping Communities

I have been in San Diego for a couple of years and am still dumbfounded by the amount of diversity the area holds. This includes people from nearly all corners of the world. There are shopping places for Italians, Asians, Mexicans, Arabs, and just about every other ethnic group. Besides giving people ethnic food I find it interesting that each culture seems to have their own emphasis.

Shopping for some time in the area I learned that some markets have great butcheries at discount prices. Others might have fruit that is cheaper than anywhere else in town. A few places are great for cereal. What I noticed about the 99 Ranch Market is that they have a huge seafood and spice selection.

Most of the writing is in Chinese (at least I think) but they do offer subtitles. Kind of neat place if you want to check out some of the foods they have and pick up a few things for supper. It is a full service store that includes just about everything you will need for your refrigerator.

Just behind the market are other ethic stores making the immediate area a great shopping place for ethnic Asian food and products. I just got hooked on seaweed as a great snack. I am still looking for dried squid which I had as a teenager but haven't been able to find since. Check out the place, eat at one of their local restaurants, and go shopping before going home.

99 Ranch Market

7330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd

San Diego, CA 92111

http://www.99ranch.com/stores/san-diego-california

Fostering Emotional Intelligence in Business Students

Emotional Intelligence (EI) has become popular as a determining factor of success over the recent past. The process of understanding one’s emotions, how they sit on issues, and resolve issues is important for moving forward to higher levels of management. The era of the emotionally infant boss throwing a temper tantrum to get people motivated no longer pushes people to the highest levels of performance. Developing emotional intelligence in business students can raise executive functioning. 

No doubt business is stressful and that stress impacts every aspect of the working and non-working spheres of our life. EI is so powerful that it influences performance, leadership, physical, and mental health (Humphrey, 2013). It is one of those fundamental skills that reaches into every part of our life. 

EI can impact how we manage employees, interact with business partners, make deals and handle the daily frustrations within the workplace. When confronting major business challenges the emotional intelligent person will not only be able to deal with this frustration but still encourage people to overcome obstacles without losing control. 

It is such an important skill for graduates that it is beneficial to start teaching emotional intelligence in college. How this is not easy as there are multiple layers of knowledge that range from definition to personal insight. Yet the process of understanding how to communicate, understanding oneself, and knowing how emotional intelligence influences our lives can be beneficial. 

Better management of one’s emotions and what they mean also impacts how we relate with others and influence them in the business world. People trust a person who has an even keel personality and seems to bring forth trust by their words and demeanor. People with high EI can work through the ups and downs of life to achieve their objectives. Students who can master their own EI are an emotional asset to an organization and have the staying power to manage for long periods of time.

Humphrey, R. (2013).  The benefits of emotional intelligence and empathy to entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship Research Journal, 3 (3).

Using Apps to Keep Track of Calories

Getting in shape is hard work. There is a lot to remember and take care of. It is not always possible to lug around a journal to write down your eating and exercising. However, some great applications have come out that make life a little easier. If you are seeking to gain muscle or lose weight you will need to have better management of your intake.

I have an Android phone, recently moved from I-phone, and decided to try a few fitness applications. The best overall application I found was My Fitness Pal. It offers three great features I like. This includes calculating the amount of calories you can eat in a day to reach your weight loss goals, calculates the calories of your food and the amount of calories you burned.

Compared to a few other applications I scanned this one seemed to have the best overall rating and reviews. It is free and seems to help you think about the choices and options throughout the day. If you are really serious about the type of food you eat and the nutrients it contains the application will calculate that as well. The technology we have at our finger tips is getting better every year.