How might you get on the same side of the table?

Their arms are crossed. There's a scowl on their face. They're giving you the distinct vibe that Captain Barbossa eloquently captured in Pirates of the Caribbean: "I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request."

These types of conversations are hard, aren't they?

This week I delivered a Masterclass at NZGCP's VentureEd on retaining your balance in high-stakes conversations. One of the bonuses was getting to sit in and learn from some of the leaders in this community on how they handle the difficult ones.

A theme emerged from a partner, then from a founder, and bubbled up again the very next day in a conversation with a country manager:

▶ Get on the same side of the table to work on the thing.

It's a move from me vs you to you and me together. From adversarial positioning to shared problem-solving. From "I need to convince you" to "let's figure this out."

Put a problem between two people, and they become opponents. Put it in front of them, and they become partners.

Between us it's a fight. In front of us it's a project.

The best in this space find a way to step around to the other side of the table.

(And yes, this also happens to be a solid approach on the home front.)

So, got a hard conversation coming up?

How might you get on the same side of the table?