Harvard Business School: What Shows Like ‘The Office’ and ‘Friends’ Can Teach Us About Negotiation.
The Office and Friends can teach us a lot about negotiation. By learning from the mistakes of the characters in these shows, we can become better negotiators ourselves.
The Office
- Be prepared. In the episode “The Injury,” Michael Scott tries to negotiate a settlement with Toby Flenderson, a human resources representative who was injured in a workplace accident. Michael is completely unprepared for the negotiation, and he ends up giving Toby a much larger settlement than he intended.
- Don’t be afraid to walk away. In the episode “Dinner Party,” Michael and Jan Levinson-Gould try to negotiate a new contract with their wedding planner. Michael is determined to get a good deal, but he is unwilling to walk away from the negotiation if he doesn’t get what he wants. As a result, he ends up paying the wedding planner more money than he originally budgeted.
- Be willing to compromise. In the episode “The Negotiation,” Michael tries to negotiate a new salary with his boss, David Wallace. Michael is initially unwilling to compromise, but he eventually realizes that he needs to be willing to give a little in order to get what he wants. As a result, he is able to negotiate a new salary that is higher than his current salary, but lower than what he was originally asking for.
Friends
- Know your audience. In the episode “The One Where Ross Dates a Student,” Ross Geller tries to negotiate a higher salary with his boss. Ross is unaware that his boss is under pressure from the dean to cut costs. As a result, Ross’s boss is not willing to give him the raise he is asking for.
- Be clear about your goals. In the episode “The One Where Joey Enters a Box,” Joey Tribbiani tries to negotiate a new salary with his agent. Joey is not clear about what he wants, and he ends up agreeing to a lower salary than he is worth.
- Be confident. In the episode “The One With the List,” Monica Geller tries to negotiate a lower rent with her landlord. Monica is confident in her negotiating skills, and she is able to get a lower rent payment.
Quotes about Negotiation
- “During a negotiation, it would be wise not to take anything personally. If you leave personalities out of it, you will be able to see opportunities more objectively.” ~Brian Koslow
- “You must never try to make all the money that’s in a deal. Let the other fellow make some money too, because if you have a reputation for always making all the money, you won’t have many deals.” ~J. Paul Getty
- “If you are planning on doing business with someone again, don’t be too tough in the negotiations. If you’re going to skin a cat, don’t keep it as a house cat.” ~Marvin Levin
- “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” ~John F. Kennedy
- “Never forget the power of silence, that massively disconcerting pause which goes on and on and may last induce an opponent to babble and backtrack nervously.” ~Lance Morrow
- “Reverse psychology is an awesome tool. I don’t know if you guys know about it, but, basically, you make someone think the opposite of what you believe. And that tricks them into doing something stupid. Works like a charm.” ~Michael Scott, The Office
