I cannot give birth to wisdom myself and the accusation that many make against me, that while I question others, I myself bring nothing wise to light due to my lack of wisdom, is accurate. The reason for this is as follows: God forces me to serve as a midwife and prevents me from giving birth – SOCRATES (470-399 B.C.)
Resources Conversation
- The first step is to decide what is a tangible/intangible resource
- Ongoing negotiations for critical resources – Depend on the situation and goals
- “What exactly do I need from the Boss?” – Play or change the game.
- Put as much as you can on the table as soon as possible(ASAP)
- Clarify and negotiate – stick to your guns ( keep coming back)
- “Better to push too hard, than to slowly bleed to death”
- Look for mutually beneficial exchanges
- Link resources to results
- Probe Boss’s Agendas – Focus on the underlying interests- What is in it for them?
Athene now Inspired Prylis, son of Hermes, to suggest that entry should be gained into Troy by means of a wooden horse; and Epeius, son of Panopeus, a Phocian from Parnassus, volunteered to build one under Athene’s supervision. Afterwards, of course, Odysseus claimed all the credit for this stratagem… [Epeius] built an enormous hollow horse of fir planks, with a trap-door fitted into one flank, and large letters cut on the other which consecrated it to Athene: ” In thankful anticipation of a safe return to their homes, the Greeks dedicate this offering to the Goddess.” Odysseus persuaded the bravest of the Greeks to climb fully armed up a rope ladder and through the trap door into the belly of the horse. THE GREEK MYTHS, VOL.2 , ROBERT GRAVES, 1955
Among them were Menelaus, Odysseus, Diomedes, Sthenelus, Acamas, Thoas, and Neoptolemus. Coaxed, threatened, and bribed, Epeius himself joined the party. He climbed up last, drew the ladder in after him and, since he alone knew how to work the trap door, took his seat beside the lock. At nightfall, the remaining Greeks under Agamemnon followed Odysseus’s instructions, which were to burn their camp, put out to sea and wait off Tenedos and the Calydnian Islands until the following evening ….. At the break of the day, Trojan scouts reported that the camp lay in ashes and that the Greeks had departed, leaving a huge horse on the seashore.THE GREEK MYTHS, VOL.2 , ROBERT GRAVES, 1955
Style Conversation
- Essential to understand what it takes to build a productive working relationship
- The Agenda is to determine how the employee and Boss can work together on a continuous basis
- Diagnose the boss’s style – how does he like to communicate? How often?
- What kind of decision, does he want to be involved in?
- Is the Boss consistent with others? Why/ why not?
- Is the Boss particularly micromanaging some issues?
- Pinpoint specific ways in which styles differ
- Define the “Decisions Box” – The comfort zone of The Boss’s involvement
- When can the employee make decision on their own?
- What sort of decisions?
Priam and several of his sons went out to view it and, as they stood staring in wonder, Thymoetes was the first to break the silence. “Since this is a gift to Athene,” he said, ” I propose that we take it into Troy and haul it up to other citadels.” “No, Hell no !” cried Capys.”Athene favoured the Greeks too long; we must either Burn it at once or break it open to see what the belly contains.” But Priam declared: ” Thymoetes is right. We will fetch it in on rollers. Let nobody desecrate Athene’s property.” The horse proved too broad to be squeezed through the gates. Even when the wall had been breached, it stuck four times. With enormous efforts, the trojans then hauled it up to the citadel, but at least took the precaution of repairing the breach behind them…. At midnight… Odysseus ordered Epeius to unlock the trap door… Now the Greek poured silently through the moonlit streets, broke into the unguarded houses, and cut the throats of the Trojans as they slept.THE GREEK MYTHS, VOL.2 , ROBERT GRAVES, 1955