Paul S. Kemp Quotes

Part of the job of being a producer is the Vulcan mind meld, where you listen not to what they're saying but what they mean.

You can win more arguments then you might think as a writer, even though you legally have no recourse, and your script can get muddied and altered in any way possible. You can use reason, logic, and passion to argue persuasively for a case in your favor.

I've always been fascinated by people, their psychology, what drives them and trying to understand them.

You cannot just dictate at negotiations. You must also listen.

I'm interested in character and people and motivations and things like that.

When I have one-on-ones, I usually win those.

Psychology is simply great because it helps you better understand all kinds of people.

I am still very observant. I am absorbed by people and why they do what they do.

Because I am fascinated by people and what makes them behave the way they do. I think it is one of the most fascinating things in the world.

The most critical thing in a negotiation is to get inside your opponent's head and figure out what he really wants.

A little secret - I'm the child of a shrink. I am; my mom's a shrink, and my father's a lawyer. So believe me, I analyze and negotiate. That is a huge amount of the director's work, especially when you're working with people who - such a variety.

I've had to relearn how I work with people so that if and when I do avoid different things I don't send any messages in doing so.

I try as best I can to enter the realm of nuances of human behavior.

My biggest job really is to figure other people out. I need to understand what makes a person tick.

And I try to be as diplomatic as I can, but it always ends up being a psychodrama up there on stage.

I like understanding what's underneath, what's really motivating people. When I was younger, I wanted to be a psychiatrist, so I think it has to do with that.

You can't control people. You must understand them. You have to know where they're coming from, their beliefs and values, what turns them off, what they're against.

Very often when you see families it's all perfect and neat, and parenting isn't like that. You do have constant negotiations. Things are ever developing and ever changing, and you constantly have to evaluate how you deal with your kids.

So much of life is a negotiation - so even if you're not in business, you have opportunities to practice all around you.

The first principle of contract negotiations is don't remind them of what you did in the past - tell them what you're going to do in the future.

As a whole, the managers today are different in temperament. Most have very good communication skills and are more understanding of the umpire's job. That doesn't mean they are better managers. It just means that I perceive today's managers a bit differently.

You have to think an awful lot about your motivations or people's behavioral intentions or what their body language can indicate or what's really going on or what makes people sometimes do, sometimes, the irrational things they do.

I do believe that in order to be a successful negotiator that as a diplomat, you have to be able to put yourself into the other person's shoes. Unless you can understand what is motivating them, you are never going to be able to figure out how to solve a particular problem.

When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.

I'll tell you something: my dad was a nuclear engineer and he was really bright, and I've always said that because of negotiating at such a young age with my dad, it was really such a gift because I could then negotiate with very difficult personalities - and not end up being the scapegoat. I learned to really pick and choose my battles.