Welcome to Edition #64 of Did You Know? (DYK), the weekly newsletter by Gorick Ng, Harvard career adviser and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of The Unspoken Rules, where we deconstruct the untold story of how someone (or something) became successful—and what you can do to follow in their footsteps.

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Did You Know? Create win-win situations!

(1) A story from the past

Did you know? The largest US-Russia prisoner swap since the Cold War required cooperation across 7 countries.

You may have seen the news last week that Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich just returned home to the U.S. after spending 491 days in a Russian prison on allegations of espionage.

What a relief... and what an interesting career lesson—on how to get what you want at work.

Gershkovich was released in what’s called a “prisoner swap” or “prisoner exchange.” It’s when country A agrees to release prisoners who are citizens of country B if country B agrees to release prisoners who are citizens of country A.

Prisoner swaps are almost always controversial.

Why?

Because of the belief that…

1. …the trade was not fair (e.g., if a civilian is swapped for a criminal)
2. …the trade creates perverse incentives (i.e., it encourages bad actors to detain more civilians just so another country will free its criminals)

Regardless of your views on the merits of prisoner swaps and whether it’s a race to the bottom, the U.S. and Russia (formerly the Soviet Union) have a long history of prisoner swaps, as do other countries.

But, the one that happened last week was significant because, whereas most prisoner exchanges occur between 2 countries, this one involved 7: Belarus, Germany, Norway, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, and the U.S.

The details of what happened and how each country benefited are still emerging—with some details probably to remain secret for a long time—but what we do know is that 24 people were freed in total (16 out of Russia and 8 to Russia), where…

• Russia released 12 prisoners to Germany and 4 prisoners to the U.S.
• Germany released 1 prisoner to Russia
• Norway released 1 prisoner to Russia
• Poland released 1 prisoner to Russia 
• Slovenia released 2 prisoners to Russia
• The U.S. released 3 prisoners to Russia

Here’s what we also know from the news that’s emerged so far:

1. The U.S. had a number of people it wanted out of Russia, of which the most prominent were Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.

2. The person Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most wanted released was Vadim Krasikov, a convicted hitman. There was just one problem: Krasikov wasn’t imprisoned in the U.S., but rather in Germany.

3. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was reluctant to release Krasikov, but entertained the idea if Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny (whom Scholz had met and deemed “a man of immense courage”) could be released. There was just one problem: Navalny died in the middle of negotiations.

4. Scholz eventually agreed to release Krasikov despite the death of Navalny—after U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan sent “lists of people [to be released by Russia] who could still make a viable deal for Germany.”

5. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris persuaded Slovenia’s Prime Minister Robert Golob to release two prisoners who were “identified as being a top priority for the Russians.”

…and this doesn’t even include the backchannel discussions with Belarus, Norway, and Poland, let alone what Slovenia received in return!

‍What does this mean for you? The next time you find yourself wanting something from someone at work, remember this historic prisoner swap—and how it couldn’t have happened without every side knowing exactly what the other side wanted.

(2) A strategy for your future

Did you know? Know what others want!

The people who get ahead in their careers—and the countries that get their prisoners released!—all have one thing in common: they create win-win situations—ones where both sides get something they want.

Think back to the last time you were ghosted at work. Chances are, you didn’t create enough of a win-win situation—so the other person lost interest and focused their energy on something else that benefits them more.

Need to get someone to do something for you—whether it’s to join your project, buy your stuff, or advocate for your promotion?

Try filling in the following blanks:

(1) “I need to get _______ to _______ because it helps me _______.”‍

• E.g., “I need to get this coworker to work harder and faster because it helps me finish this project sooner.”

(2) “I know _______ cares about _______, so, the more I can sell them on the idea of _______, the more likely they are to _______.”

• E.g., “I know this coworker cares about being recognized publicly for his work, so, the more I can sell him on the idea that he will get to present this work to the higher-ups and put this project on his resume, the more likely he is to work harder and faster.”

You won’t always be right, but, the more you try to see the world through others’ eyes, the better you’ll be at creating win-win situations—and the more you’ll get what you want.

I know it because I’ve experienced it: When I wrote my book, The Unspoken Rules, I knew I needed anecdotes—and lots of them. I had just one problem: People are busy! Few people are willing to sit down for an hour—and often several hours—to tell me their story. I shared that I’d eventually credit them for their contributions (even if their specific story got anonymized)—and I did through the world's largest book contributor list. Now, I try to give credit wherever it’s due—and such a philosophy has yet to let me down.

Know others’ goals!

Gorick

Sources

1. have a long history of prisoner swaps
2. 24 people were freed in total
3. (16 out of Russia and 8 to Russia)
4. Vadim Krasikov, a convicted hitman
5. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was reluctant to release Krasikov
6. “lists of people [to be released by Russia]”
7. persuaded‍
8. “identified as being a top priority for the Russians.”