Dont Go To The Highest Bidder
Dont Go To The Highest Bidder[From NegotiatingPatternLanguage]
Money isn't everything, though it is something. If you take the top bidder you may be letting yourself in for far more misery than an extra few ducats are worth.
Therefore,
DontGoToTheHighestBidder. Think about what you really need, get MoreThanOneOffer, and once you get what you need just go to the place where you'll be happiest.
I was confused by this title - it seems to say "take any offer but the one with the best money", but the text implies that you should merely compare the other aspects before choosing. I'd rephrase it as DontJustGoForTheMoney?, perhaps? -- Pete Hardie
I assume you mean "most value for the money" when you say "highest bidder."
(No, it refers to accepting a job - where you are offered money.)
In all purchasing arrangements that I've seen "highest bidder" meant "costing the most money."
It's a regular bad habit of the United States Government to always buy from the lowest bidder, regardless of other factors. That is, always buy from the vendor submitting the lowest price bid for the government's "fixed-size" request.
Sitting on top of a NASA rocket, one might ask "isn't it comforting to know that every last component in this ship was bought from the lowest bidder?" ;->
If I read this right, it seems to say "don't (necessarily) hire your services to the one who offers you the most money" but rather examine the other values involved.
Been there. Done that. Took the money. Lost the vision. Bad Idea.
I've done the opposite, chosen a vision over a significantly better financial offer, only for the company to steadily lose its vision until the point I had neither. It's easier for a vision/values/culture to go wrong than a financial offer to go wrong. -- MartinSpamer
Of course, a lot depends on your perspective. I know several software development contractors who will always go to the job that pays the most money, because they know that the jobs are only 3 or 6 months at a time. They tell me that they are comfortable with the fact that they might find themselves doing a job that sucks for a few months, but that the large pay check makes them feel good about it :-) On the other hand, if I was looking for a new job, I would not necessarily go for the one that paid the most money. I would interview my potential employer as rigorously as they interviewed me to make sure it is somewhere I will feel fulfilled. That's because I'd be looking for permanent employment.
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(last edited June 23, 2004)
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