How to create win-win situations in your practice negotiations

00:00:00: Hello!

00:00:00: I'm Dr.

00:00:01: Martin Baxman, you know we've all been there stuck in the tough negotiation whether it's with a team member or even patient.

00:00:06: We get so focused on numbers and specific demand that completely miss bigger picture.

00:00:11: Well today were going to explore powerful framework that will help transform those situations into real opportunities for growth.

00:00:17: So how do make this shift?

00:00:18: Believe It Or Not The answer can be found at classic desert parable.

00:00:22: Its simple story but holds really profound lesson of us as leaders A lesson about power perspective.

00:00:27: And honestly, it holds the key to unlocking so many of the challenges we face in our practices every day.

00:00:32: Okay!

00:00:32: So this story goes like this... A businessman passes away and leaves his three sons an inheritance of seventeen camels.

00:00:38: The will is very specific They have to be divided into fractions One half one third and one ninth.

00:00:44: Now right way you can see a problem Right?

00:00:46: This created well.. An impossible situation.

00:00:48: they were stuck with math puzzle that just couldn't solved without harming the camel themselves.

00:00:53: Yeah, seventeen camels.

00:00:55: You can't divide seventeen by two or three or nine without getting fractions of a camel.

00:00:59: So the sons were at complete deadlock.

00:01:01: They're arguing and frustrated And they cannot honor their father's wishes.

00:01:04: This kind of impasse probably sounds familiar.

00:01:07: We see it all time whether we are negotiating supplier contract Or trying to align on complex treatment plan with patient As they argue.

00:01:14: wise old mentor rides by her own camel.

00:01:17: She sees dilemma and offers simple really elegant solution.

00:01:21: Now what's key here is that she doesn't just solve the problem for them.

00:01:24: Instead, she temporarily changes context of a problem by adding in new resource.

00:01:29: She adds her camel to herd bringing total to eighteen and like this with one simple act The entire dynamic shifts.

00:01:37: What was totally impossible before suddenly becomes achievable.

00:01:40: It all about that perspective.

00:01:42: And with eighteen camels math works.

00:01:45: The eldest son takes his half, which is nine.

00:01:47: The middle sun takes his third, which six?

00:01:50: and the youngest son take his ninth.

00:01:51: ,which two?

00:01:52: But here's a beautiful part.

00:01:53: What's Nine plus Six Plus Two?

00:01:56: It's Seventeen!

00:01:56: The original

00:01:57: Inhaladence!!

00:01:58: It's

00:01:58: Brilliant!!!

00:01:59: So after that division it all done... The mentor just takes your camo back and rides away.

00:02:03: She solved what seemed unsolvable Not by changing assets but temporarily expanding frame of reference.

00:02:08: And this story This simple parable Is perfect metaphor for complex challenges we have to navigate in our practices All the time.

00:02:15: Okay, so that's a great story.

00:02:16: But how do we actually use this in our own leadership roles?

00:02:19: Well This Story is really the foundation of a core principle I used for all kinds of problem-solving... ...I call it finding your eighteenth camel.

00:02:26: and The Principle Is Really This It'S about learning to look past the stated position.

00:02:29: You know That i want this.

00:02:31: define the underlying interest the why they wanted the seventeen camels are the what the father's desire For.

00:02:36: A fair distribution is the Why once you understand that why you can introduce Your Own Eighteenth Camel To Unlock A Solution That Works for Everyone.

00:02:43: And here's the crucial insight, The Real Takeaway.

00:02:46: When we find ourselves at an impasse it is almost always because We are trying to solve the wrong problem!

00:02:51: We get stuck arguing about how To divide the seventeen camels when the real Problem Is figuring out a way to make the whole situation work for everyone involved.

00:02:57: All right let's bring this into the real world.

00:03:00: How does this apply?

00:03:00: To A leadership challenge we all face in our practices?

00:03:03: Let's take the classic example An employee comes to you asking For a raise.

00:03:07: So, I actually had this exact scenario happen.

00:03:09: A great team member came to me and her stated position was clear—I need a pay raise!

00:03:14: Now if i just focused on that number…on the salary...i would have missed it whole point.

00:03:18: After we talked for bit..i discovered her underlying interest-the real problem.

00:03:22: Her car was unreliable And she desperately needed a way get work consistently.

00:03:27: Once i understood her true NEED We could get creative.

00:03:30: We found our eighteenth camel Instead of just arrays....we looked into company's car.

00:03:34: This solved her root problem transportation immediately.

00:03:38: And it turned out to be a more tax-efficient solution for the practice than just straight salary bump!

00:03:43: That is true win-win, and only happened because we looked beyond that initial request.

00:03:48: This isn't about team negotiations—this exact same narrow mindset can really limit our growth —and opportunities in patient consultations.

00:03:56: It usually shows up as hidden assumptions—assumptions that stop us from providing best care possible.

00:04:03: Let's say a family came in years ago for their first child, and due to finances they declined the premium treatment plan.

00:04:09: Now there is second-child needs care!

00:04:10: Does your team just automatically assume that they are going make this same choice again?

00:04:14: Because of that assumption...that fixed mindset could be very costly mistake both on patient and practice.

00:04:19: This why we have to rely on robust systems not our own assumptions.

00:04:23: People circumstances change dramatically.

00:04:25: Our job..our responsibility Is follow standardized process.

00:04:29: every single consultation Treated as brand new present the full range of options every time without bias.

00:04:34: That's the only way to ensure we're delivering the best care based on where that patient is today!

00:04:38: Okay, so let's flip this around for a second.

00:04:41: This isn't just a tool for us as leaders.

00:04:43: We can and should empower our team members To use these very same principles to advocate For themselves.

00:04:48: When you do that You start building culture.

00:04:50: all about mutual benefit And proactive problem solving.

00:04:53: Just look at difference here The ineffective approach.

00:04:56: I deserve a raise because i've been here ten years.

00:04:57: That's all about entitlement.

00:04:59: Looking backward The win-win proposal, though is a total game changer.

00:05:02: It says look I want to take on this new responsibility Which i know will save the practice This much time or money?

00:05:07: This investment in me Is going to directly benefit the entire practice.

00:05:10: see the shift.

00:05:11: it's not an argument its A business case.

00:05:13: All right To wrap things up!

00:05:15: I wanna share one last strategic insight.

00:05:17: Its simple but incredibly profound Psychological trigger that really underpins all successful communication and negotiation.

00:05:27: There was a famous experiment by Harvard psychologist named Ellen Langer.

00:05:30: Her team went to library and tested the best way cut in line for busy photocopier!

00:05:34: And what they found revealed something absolutely fascinating about human nature, and simple power of providing reason for your request.

00:05:41: So check this out When someone just asked can I use the copier?

00:05:44: They had about a sixty percent success rate.

00:05:46: But when they added word because and gave a reason even ridiculous reason like Because i need make some copies The success rate jumped from sixty percent all the way up to ninety four percent.

00:05:55: It's incredible.

00:05:57: The takeaway here is so clear.

00:05:58: As human beings, we are just wired for context.

00:06:01: We need to understand the why behind a request.

00:06:03: So whether you're explaining a treatment plan To patient or proposing A new system to your team Always give them the because It frames the entire discussion And it's absolutely critical For getting buy-in!

00:06:12: I'll leave with this question to think about Where Is Your Next Eighteenth Camel?

00:06:17: In your practice With your team Maybe even in your own career?

00:06:20: Where is that deadlock That argument over the seventeen camels?

00:06:24: I think you'll find the solution is often much closer than.