AirBnB boss Susan Wheeldon on the perils of being too good at negotiation
Dec 4, 2023
auto_awesome
AirBnB country manager, Susan Wheeldon, discusses the drawbacks of being too good at negotiation, her pet office hate, and her journey into making unicorn cupcakes.
Failure is essential for growth and innovation, as long as one learns from their failures and keeps moving forward.
Successful negotiation involves genuinely caring about the other party, understanding their motivations and perceived value, and considering more than just price.
Deep dives
Failure as a Key to Success
Failure is viewed as an essential part of the process at Google and in the workplace. Susan emphasizes that if you don't fail on some of your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), it means you haven't tried hard enough. Failure is seen as a learning opportunity, and as long as one learns from their failures and keeps moving forward, it can lead to growth and innovation.
The Value of Negotiation
Susan believes that successful negotiation depends on genuinely caring about the other party and understanding their motivations and perceived value in the deal. It's not just about the price, but also considering the terms and benefits that can be included. Susan mentions that in her early career, she learned the importance of not screwing someone down to the lowest possible dollar, as it can negatively impact the long-term relationship and commitment to the contract.
Efficiency and Communication in the Office
Susan's pet hate in the office is lengthy email threads that could have been resolved with a simple phone call. While she doesn't have a rule against being CC'd on emails, she encourages her team to pick up the phone and have direct conversations to save time and avoid unnecessary back-and-forth. Effective communication through phone calls allows for a more robust conversation that leads to quicker outcomes and less cluttered inboxes.
In this week's episode, AirBNB country manager Susan Wheeldon talks about the perils of being too good a negotiator, what her pet office hate is and why she learnt to make unicorn cupcakes.