Canadian Government Executive - Volume 22

avid Dingwall is familiar to many gov-

ernment executives for his role in the

Chrétien government where he held

several cabinet posts, from public works

to health. He later became a government executive

himself, presiding over the Royal Canadian Mint,

improving operations to the point the organization

secured its first surplus in a number of years. But he

ran into trouble–and became a target of ridicule–

when he came under scrutiny for expense claims

and declared “I am entitled to my entitlements.”

That didn’t do the Liberals or government execu-

tives any favours. But he’s back in the public eye,

a lawyer and visiting professor at Ryerson Univer-

sity’s Ted Rogers School of Management, with a

book

Negotiating So Everybody Wins,

that might do

government executives who read it the favour of

improving on that important front.

The book emerges from interviews with a series

of well-known leaders such as former deputy min-

ister Peter Harder, former Canadian Auto Workers

Union President Buzz Hargrove, former TD Bank

president Ed Clark, NHL Players Association head

Donald Fehr, former Ontario Premier and Liberal

Party Leader Bob Rae, MP and former cabinet min-

ister Lisa Raitt. The interviews can also be accessed

through video links.

For example, Harder–now the government’s rep-

resentative in the Senate where he will need every

negotiating skill he has to shepherd the Trudeau

agenda through the upper body–advises: “There

are some lessons that are generic in negotiations.

One is always be respectful. Don’t vilify the other

side. Two, always leave a way out for compromise

so that when the compromise happens there hasn’t

been winners and losers, in a classic sense. The

third is, make timing your friend. You have to be

deliberate about what you put on the table [and]

when, in terms of the timing of what you are do-

ing. Is what you are doing going to give leverage to

what you want to achieve?”

But the book is also very much Dingwall, offering

his own experiences and learning over the years, in

a practical, non-nonsense vein. He shares an early

lesson from William “Bull” Marsh, a legendary fig-

ure with the United Mine Workers. Dingwall was

a young, eager pup, a 28-year-old first time MP for

Cape Breton who found himself in 1981 represent-

ing the Liberal government in negotiations over

funding. Dingwall asked a lot of questions and

demonstrated his knowledge of the facts whenever

possible in their first encounter, convinced it was

helping to make a good impression.

But it wasn’t. At the end, Marsh approached him

and asked to have a word. He leaned close, looked

the young MP in the eye, and said in a low, slow

voice, “When you speak, I fucking listen. So next

time when I talk, you better fucking listen.” After

that lesson on respect for the other side (delivered

without the finesse of Peter Harder) Marsh walked

away, leaving Dingwall in shock and with a memo-

ry for life. “I am indebted to Bull Marsh for reining

in an emerging ego that had been a barrier to our

proceedings and relationships,” he declares.

Ego-creep is the first of five demons he cites

that can bedevil your negotiations. “Watch for the

creep–it usually comes from feeling intimidated or

insecure,” he writes. Don’t overcompensate, which

will lead you to speak louder and more often than

required (and not listen to the other side, as Marsh

stressed). At the same time, avoid feeling superior,

even if the other side seems to be inexperienced or

disorganized.

Squash any desire to prove something. Your fo-

cus, he says, should not be on being the best known

negotiator in the history of humankind but on

achieving the best agreement in this particular

situation. “Put the deal first–you serve it, it doesn’t

serve you,” he says. Confidence in your preparation

and skill set may be appropriate and well-earned.

But that must be kept from turning into ego. Step

back. Keep yourself focused on deliberate and stra-

tegic actions.

Bias can also derail negotiations. He points to

confirmation bias, where you might seek, interpret,

or prioritize information that confirms your beliefs.

Anchoring bias can also be a pitfall, reaching early

conclusions based on the first wave of information

and process. The first number thrown out by the

other side can lower your sights unreasonably. Be

patient, recognizing that relying on first impres-

sions can get you in trouble.

Overconfidence can also lead to bias–believing

too much in your clout and skill. “If at the end of

each day you reach inaccurate conclusions about

the power you hold and the effectiveness of your

approach, you will lose touch with the reality of

the negotiation in a hurry. The best antidote to this

The Leader’s Bookshelf

Harvey Schachter

Negotiating So

Everyone Wins

By David

Dingwall

Lorimer, 336

pages, $29.95

/ Canadian Government Executive

// September 2016