subtext

One time I took a dispute resolution class where we learned about strategies for negotiation and mutually satisfying solutions. The way to reach these types of solutions was for each advocate to figure out the motivations and basic needs of each party, and then think outside the box to find a solution that incorporated both sets of needs and motivations.

To practice this stuff, we did negotiation exercises (Mark M., do you read this? Remember that?) where we were each given secret information about the motivations and needs of our client, and limited information about the motivations and needs of the other attorney's client, and then without giving away that information we had to try to reach a mutually satisfying solution.

I hope all that makes sense.

Today I had a kind of stilted interview with the Spanish faculty adviser at school to figure out my class schedule for next semester. Afterwards I realized that it was stilted because we each had totally different needs and motivations.

It was something like this:

Student needs and motivations: (1) Get OUT of here, (2) as SOON as possible, because (3) it costs TOO MUCH MONEY to stay here.

Faculty adviser needs and motivations: (1) Promote education, (2) discourage student exhaustion, (3) don't upset the bureaucracy, and (4) the university is a wonderful place to be [forever]!

So it works something like this:

Student [OUT, SOON, $$$!]: So . . . I was thinking I could take this, this, this, this, and this.

Professor [don't upset the bureaucracy]: Oh, no. No, because this is a prerequisite for that. So no this before that.

Student [OUT, SOON, $$$!]: But I can take this, this, and this?

Professor [discourage student exhaustion]: Oh . . . I don't know about that. There is a lot of homework for these two classes. A lot of reading. A lot of writing. I don't know that I would suggest taking more than this. I teach this class, and there really is a lot of reading.

Student [OUT, SOON, $$$!]: But I could.

Professor [promote education, and live here forever]: Well, yes, but you can always take these in Fall of '08, after you finish the prerequisites.

Student [OUT, SOON, $$$!]: Okay, so I could take this, this, and this. Could I take Linguistics?

Professor [that bureaucracy thing]: No, because remember that Spanish Civ is a prerequisite for Linguistics. [promote education and eternal enrollment] But, like I said, you'll just take that in Fall of '08 . . .