A new pope has just been elected by the College of Cardinals gathered in the papal conclave. The excitement is palpable: Pope Leo XIV is the first American to assume the papacy. It got me thinking about what happens during a leadership change — especially one of this magnitude.
There’s already plenty of speculation about how the Catholic Church will evolve under Pope Leo XIV’s leadership. But, as with any change, the real impact may be enormous . . . or barely noticeable. The same holds true in negotiation.
Not long ago, we at Scotwork were working with a customer to build a multiyear negotiation performance plan that included negotiation training, coaching, and deal consulting for their sourcing team. At the last minute, their Chief Purchasing Officer was replaced. Naturally, everything was paused so that the new CPO could review and guide the strategy. We were frustrated, but we didn’t sit idle. We acted.
Here are 5 steps to take so your deal-in-progress doesn’t fall off during a leadership transition . . .
Remap the decision-making process.
It’s important to understand who the new stakeholder is, including their background, style, and agenda — all of which may change or influence your approach.
You’ll also want to understand their authority level. Is it the same or different from the last person’s? It’s good to understand if the organization’s approval chain has shifted and how much autonomy the new stakeholder has to make agreements and give commitments.
Re-establish relationships and rapport.
Assuming the new leader is going to play a significant role in your negotiation, it’s a good idea to plan a quick introductory meeting to begin building rapport and trust. It’s also a good opportunity to highlight what worked well under their predecessor while showing your flexibility. Frame the past as a springboard to the future.
Align on priorities and success metrics.
Every new leader wants to shape their area of responsibilities. It's good to learn what’s important to the new leader and revalidate how success will be measured. Highlighting how progress in your current negotiation aligns with their priorities will accelerate your deal.
Manage timing and momentum.
In most cases, the last thing anyone wants in a reset is an elongated delay or a full stoppage of the negotiation. During a transition, make sure you’re over-communicating where you are and the next steps. Keep momentum alive in order to avoid confusion or unintended delays.
Control the narrative.
Find ways to tie the negotiation into the new leader’s priorities, but also be the historian of the negotiation to date. If you had supporters on the previous team, you can look to leverage their voices to help you move the negotiation forward (assuming the new leadership has no issue with the previous leadership).
In Scotwork’s deal, we proactively remapped the new power structure, rebuilt rapport, aligned priorities, kept momentum going, and controlled the narrative. This allowed us to build quick wins with the new leadership, while avoiding costly delays and misunderstandings. In addition, the new CPO has become a huge fan due to what we’ve done for their sourcing organization.
The next time you’re faced with a leadership change, don’t let your deal die while waiting to see what happens. Take action!
We Can Help You Negotiate During a Leadership Change.
The next time you’re faced with a leadership change, don’t let your deal die while waiting to see what happens. Rely on Scotwork’s negotiation consulting to ensure that your deal moves forward and negotiation training to make the best possible agreements in the new environment.