Have often read how Steve Jobs had this unique skill of bending reality to make the person or persons to complete adopt his way to thinking or approach to anything new which he had set his sights on. Let’s understand a little bit about bending reality and what is actually means before we go any further.
To start with one must understand that reality is not a fixed entity but rather a malleable concept, subject to interpretation and change. Bending reality is about the strategic and ethical use of perception to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. Successful negotiators have mastered the subtle alchemy of shaping perceptions, reframing issues, and crafting narratives that lead to favourable agreements. They understand that reality is not an absolute, but a dynamic construct that can be influenced by careful planning, skilled communication, and creative problem-solving.
Let’s consider a few simple examples from everyday life:
One of the biggest challenges that parents face in today’s world is ensuring kids have a balanced diet. So, if a kid is fond of non-vegetarian food the kid sticks to non-vegetarian diet almost all the time. We try to ensure they also eat vegetables by following different practices depending on what age they are in like building stories about the strengths provided by some of these vegetables. We link the strength of the some of the popular hero’s that the kid likes to the diet that he followed and how having these vegetables to help them get the same strength. As they grow older it becomes adding vegetables to the dishes and so on. So, what we have done here most of the times is influence the kids thoughts and reality by connecting it with things that he likes and feels connected to and then influencing this reality in different ways.
The second important factor with reality is the value that we perceive in our minds for a particular product. If five people are buying the same car. They would have arrived at the decision to buy that car based on their assumptions on how it meets their requirements and needs. These needs and requirements can be different for different people. Once we start using the car then there are the various experiences that gets associated with the car which enhances our value of that car. So, a new person will look at a fair value of the car based on how his needs are being met while we will look at the same adding the value of our experiences and hence, we will always have a higher value expectation of all such products. The same is the case with our ancestral houses and various such things.
Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Inc., was a master of bending reality through innovation and design. He had a unique ability to envision products that people didn’t even know they needed.
One of the most iconic examples of Job’s bending reality is the introduction of the iPhone. At the time of its release, the smartphone market was saturated with devices with physical keyboards. Jobs envisioned a future without physical buttons, where a single sleek device could serve as a phone, music player, and computer. In order to build this product, he first had to convince his team that such a product was relevant and would be successful in the market. To differentiate the product Apple introduced only features like touch phones but also gave the same focus to its aesthetics, user friendliness.
There are also several companies who have successfully done the same both before and earlier like Sony with several of its products like the Walkman and nearer home Jio on telecom data consumption and multitude of e commerce and social media companies. All of us never envisaged the use of these products till the time these products were launched and offered in the market.
To apply bending reality in the various day to day negotiations, several techniques like storytelling and emotional intelligence can be used based on the specific requirements.
In addition to the above factors which influence reality bending, one factor which influences decisions in close negotiations is the perceived risk involved in each decision.
Based on this Daniel Kahneman introduced what’s called as the Prospect Theory. As per this theory people are tempted to go things with offer sure outcomes rather than look at options which involves a probably of risk in their success. This doesn’t change even if the probability of success goes up and even reaches a stage of near certainty. This is also sometimes discussed as Loss aversion and influences the way we decide in crunch, tight situations.
In the intricate world of negotiations and innovation, the concept of “Bending Reality” emerges as a captivating and transformative force. In the realm of close negotiations, where the stakes are high and the outcomes critical, the ability to Bending Reality becomes paramount. It is here that the careful manipulation of perceptions, emotions, and narratives can tip the scales in your favour.
Consider the negotiation prowess of Elon Musk, who, in the face of daunting setbacks, painted a vivid picture of humanity’s future among the stars. He convinced investors, engineers, and the public alike that missions to Mars were not just feasible but inevitable. By presenting a compelling narrative of interplanetary colonization, he secured the necessary resources and support to turn his dreams into reality including NASA.
As we conclude our exploration of Bending Reality in negotiations and innovation, we must recognize that it is not an arcane skill limited to the elite few. It is a methodology, a mindset, and a creative force that anyone can cultivate.
In close negotiations, Bending Reality involves understanding the intricate dance of perceptions and emotions. It’s about crafting narratives that resonate deeply with your counterparts and creating an environment where mutually beneficial outcomes become not just possible but inevitable.
Innovation fuelled by Bending Reality demands the audacity to envision a future beyond the present’s constraints. It requires the courage to challenge norms, redefine possibilities, and pursue a vision with unwavering conviction.
Embrace the power of Bending Reality to turn obstacles into opportunities, perceptions into advantages, and dreams into realities. To keep getting continuous updates on bending reality and how it changes negotiations and innovations, keep visiting my LinkedIn page Rejo’s Biz Bytes and my web page Rejo Francis – Inspirational Business Leader.
