Hello derek,

Welcome to the Monday Morning Briefing. Thank you for opening it.

In this edition -

1 - Artificial intelligence

2 - Where to sit in a meeting.

3 - Negotiation technique of the week

4 - Did Sir Keir Starmer really say "Release the Sausages" instead of Hostages? I think he did. See below.

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Tonight, I’ve invited Graham Jones Click Here to join us for a discussion on the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence. It’s evolving rapidly, and even if it raises concerns, it’s important to stay informed—after all, knowledge is power. 

Negotiation Technique of the Week

Last week, I was working with some very senior leaders of a major UK company. I took a picture of their boardroom, which had an interesting feature—the table widens as it approaches the screen. As you can see, I had my "lightbulb moment" slide on display.

We know that sitting directly across from someone is not ideal when aiming for a Win-Win negotiation. So, what do you do if you're dealing with a fixed table? My suggestion is to sit at the end of the table, positioning yourself at a 90-degree angle to your negotiation partners, rather than 180 degrees apart with a large distance between you.

Remember, business negotiations should be conducted at arm's length. But arm’s length doesn’t mean sitting two meters away, which is what would happen if you sat across from them at the end of the table, where the computer screen is located.

6Fs Challenge

Last week, I challenged you to count the number of "F's" in the 6Fs challenge.

For those of you who wrote in to say there were 7 F's in the sentence—you were correct!

Normally, some people count 3, 4, 5, or 6 F's. I cheated and added a seventh because I knew some of you might have seen the puzzle before. SORRY.

Here's the explanation behind the puzzle:

The "6F" puzzle, often used in negotiation and communication training, is a visual exercise where participants are asked to count how many times the letter "F" appears in a passage of text. It serves to illustrate how easily we overlook important details due to cognitive biases, assumptions, or hurried thinking.

The origin of the 6F puzzle is not attributed to a single creator but is rooted in cognitive psychology. Such exercises are designed to demonstrate how perception can be selective and how even obvious information can be missed.

This puzzle has become popular in training sessions and workshops on negotiation, communication, and attention to detail, highlighting how different people can interpret the same information in different ways.

For reference, the sentence used in the challenge was:

"Finished files are the result of years of scientific study after years of practical application."

Good luck with all your negotiations. Negotiation is just one of the 24/7/365 skills that can be counterintuitive. So many people forget this when they are dealing with tricky situations.

derek, I hope you have a very successful week.

When you find items useful in this briefing, please share the briefing with others and encourage them to subscribe.



With best wishes,

Derek

www.derekarden.com

Here is a link to some of our top podcasts this year.

Click Here

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Derek Arden is a trusted negotiation consultant, who specialises in enhancing profitability and fostering strong relationships. With expertise as a negotiation author, speaker, and advisor who is dedicated to helping clients achieve optimal results.

• One client saved £42,000 using Derek to join his negotiation meeting as an adviser. Taking Derek's advice at the "Time out" they came away with £42k more.
• Your training has helped me massively over the years and I guess your tips and techniques have saved companies that I have worked for or privately since then approximately an unbelievable amount. Peter - Sweden

HAVE A FANTASTIC WEEK