Get What You Want. The Wind is Bad for the Environment? He Brought Us the World of Funk. Your Career Path. Alcaraz and the Ball Kids.
Quote of the Week: “Never Split the Difference.” – Christopher Voss
Christopher Voss’ negotiation techniques rely on his ability to extract the ‘Black Swans’ and use them to earn what you really want out of the negotiation. Voss is a former FBI hostage negotiator and now runs The Black Swan Group, a leading negotiation training company based in Nevada. From Voss: “Black Swans are small bits of information the other side holds that if uncovered—would dramatically change the course of the dialogue and, ultimately, the result of the negotiation.“
The best negotiators incorporate three types of characteristics into their negotiation strategy: Analyzation, Accommodation, and Assertiveness. Voss teaches a strategy so that negotiators learn how to shift their communication style to better fit their counterpart. “Never Split the Difference” reflects Voss’ strategy that successful negotiations give your counterpart what they are seeking with the negotiator exceeding their desired outcome.
This is a great example of negotiating to “Never Split the Difference.”
- I do not understand many things, one of those being the world of energy. While I have read about different power sources and have known people who have converted their homes to solar, I am unsure of the why’s and how’s of the future of energy. On a positive note, I read that the International Energy Agency (IEA) expects the investment in clean energy and grids to reach $2.2 trillion this year, and on the other hand U.S. residential solar installer Sunnova has laid off more than half of its workforce. Add in last month’s U.S. House Ways and Means Committee ending the residential energy tax credits and Great Britain announcing plans for an $18 billion nuclear plant… and who really knows the go-forward with energy?
One person who can give us insight is Tracy A., who is an executive with an integrated power generation and supply company. Tracy, do you have any thoughts on the future of solar energy?
Other insight comes from Billy Bob Thornton from the show, Landman. In this scene, his attorney questions why wind power is not clean. Billy Bob Thornton’s answer and explanation is epic (but again, I am unsure of the validity of his explanation, etc.). Warning: this video has expletives galore.
A Few Random Thoughts for the middle of May 2025
- What was Elon Musk’s reaction to the government spending $134 million to deploy the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles last week? Add the $45 million it cost taxpayers for yesterday’s military parade, and everything gets even more puzzling. I am not alluding to politics – just the taxpayer’s spend in light of DOGE’s efforts in the first three months of this year.
- I am enjoying the NBA finals. Two good teams playing extremely fast, physical basketball. The same goes for the NHL finals.
- Movie of the Week: Try Tom Hanks in the 2016 movie A Hologram for the King.
- Can you imagine working with the crisis communication agency who manages the Boeing account? Last week’s plane crash tragedy makes you think back to the movie Unbreakable, where there was one survivor of a train crash that claimed the lives of one hundred thirty-one passengers.
- The restaurant industry, specifically the coffee house sector, is complex and still very difficult to navigate. For example, Starbucks’ CEO has told all store managers that they are getting back to basics with a strategy of “Back to Starbucks.” At the same time, I read about the massive chain of coffee houses testing a new protein cold foam. That test does not feel like back to basics to me, but I will shut up as I do not like Starbucks coffee…and what is cold foam? 🙂
- Sly Stone passed away last week at the age of eighty-two. His personal life is nothing to speak of but as a visionary musician, Sly & The Family Stone brought us everything to do with funk. Thank You, Sly Stone.
- Thank you to everyone who responded to the Question of the Week regarding the number of state you have visited. These responses show some very well-traveled people:
34 for me – missing mostly the middle of the country – the Dakotas, Nebraska, OK, AR, Idaho, KY, Kansas, Utah and believe it or not MS and LA.
47 States.
I’ve been to 27 states with Alaska being my 28th in August! I think this is the ‘rule’ but I only count a state if I’ve actually been there overnight or at least outside of the airport!
30 States.
31 states for me …about to be 32 as we visit Idaho late July.
46 States. I am missing South Dakota, New Mexico, Washington, and Alaska.
44.
I’ve been to 27 states. Looking forward to seeing the rest of this beautiful country!
48 States.
I’ve been in all states except the Dakotas, so 48. So many were on business, don’t know if I would call them “visits.”
Here is this week’s Question of the Week: What job did you want as a kid, and did you follow that career path?
- Pure Talent. Never mind the two-set deficit and the match point he fought off to win the French Open, Carlos Alcaraz showed us why he is admired around the world. Ranked No. 1 in men’s singles, Alcaraz took his post-match celebration to the hard-working ball girls and ball boys for all to celebrate his five-hour, 5-set win. Carlos Alcaraz is Pure Talent.
Interesting read about Voss’ philosophy (strategy) for negotiations. As the focus of my doctoral thesis, I used “Future Scenario Planning”, a method of strategic planning used originally by the military but also by major corporations such as Royal Dutch Shell, which helped them through the oil crisis of the 70’s. Basic idea is you develop a matrix of possible future scenarios depending on the “black swans” in culture and society. In this case, what are the major cultural, financial, or societal shifts that might occur and change the direction of society and how might they affect “us” as a corporation/entity. Desired outcome is that you want to position yourself/company to thrive in as many of the quadrants (should they come to pass) as possible. Clear as mud, I know, but the key is discerning the “black swans”. The guy I worked with on the project called them “boulders” rolling down the hill which we don’t see.
Thank you for the opportunity to discuss energy. Everything I say here is my own opinion but informed by the work I do in the industry. In Texas over 30% of the power generated for daily use is generated from solar or wind. However, both solar and wind are unreliable at times as power sources, like when the sun goes down at night. Many residential customers are looking for ways to use solar with battery storage in their homes as a way to reduce their energy costs and for many this is a very good investment, but it is an investment. That combination could cost $30k or more which is not realistic for most homeowners. I think we will see a surge in solar investment through the end of 2025 when the tax credits will be eliminated.
For the future, I think small modular reactors are very interesting as a power source. There are many companies investing in it now, like Amazon and Google. My perspective is that we need it all. I think its great that we determined how to harness the wind and sun, but we need natural gas plants and nuclear power to continue to use energy the way that we have always used and enjoyed it. Which brings me to the Landman. I agree with the monologue in this clip – its just not as simple as we would like for it to be, there are always trade-offs. There is much to be discovered in the energy industry which is why I do love being a part of it!