David Sandler said it well when he said, “When you want to know the future, bring it back to the present.”

In a real world example, it sounds something like this: “If I tell you I will pay the price you’re asking for the car, what happens next?” and/or “If I tell you I won’t pay the price you’re asking for the car, what happens next?”

I’ve reached out into the future with my two options and attempted to get a sense of what would happen under each scenario without committing to either one. I have literally reached out into the future and brought it back to the present.

Another example might be: “If I tell you we can’t meet your delivery deadline, what happens next?” or “If I tell you we can meet your delivery deadline, what happens next?” I can get a commitment from them before I commit to my position – staying true to another David Sandler quote “Never do anything without knowing what happens next.”

Wisdom guides the leader to know as much about the follower’s plans for the future as possible before determining which direction the leader most wisely should take.

Categories: Influence, Negotiating

Tags: influence