We’re back this week with Part 2 of our conversation with Arben Malaj, former Minister of Finance of Albania (also Gerta’s father 🙂). Part 2: YouTube | Spotify | Apple
If you missed Part 1, you can catch up here: YouTube | Spotify | Apple | Newsletter
(FYI: Part 1 was one of our most popular episodes to-date! If you liked it, reply back to this email and let us know what resonated with you most.)
Quick recap: In his early 30s, Arben was put in charge of rescuing the country’s economy after a financial crisis pushed Albania to the brink of financial collapse and a civil war. As part of that work, he was thrust into high-stakes negotiations with powerful organizations, including the EU Commission, IMF, and World Bank, all with his country’s future on the line.
In Part 1, Arben shared stories about how he relied on unwavering integrity and his commitment to the Albanian people to center himself through the negotiations. His values-based approach also showed his counterparts that he was a dependable partner to collaborate with for the long-term.
In Part 2, Arben’s insights got a bit more tactical. A few key moments from the episode below.
Respect is not optional, it’s a precondition
One of Arben’s earliest meetings with the World Bank did not start well. He was demanded to appear at their offices instead of hosting them in the Ministry of Finance headquarters, a small but meaningful signal that he interpreted as a power play. Once there, his counterparts opened the meeting with a condescending tone. He was lectured and questioned about whether he truly understood the responsibilities of his role and what was at stake.
He respectfully but sternly shared that if he was not treated as an equal counterpart, it would be difficult to work productively moving forward. He reminded them that, after all, they were working towards the same goal.
This wasn’t about ego. It was about establishing respect as the foundation for future collaboration and productivity. Before discussing details on programs, reforms, and funding, Arben named the conditions under which collaboration could happen. In his words, if he accepted disrespect at the start, everything that followed would be compromised.
When we help people negotiate job offers, we coach them on the right negotiation mindset. Even if you feel like the smaller player, remember that you’re not asking for favors; you’re exploring together whether you and the company can make each other better off.
Even if the other side seems much more powerful and well-resourced than you, there is almost always leverage on each side. In Arben’s case, these global governmental and financial institutions did not want to see an entire country collapse. In a job seeker’s case, a company wants to fill their open seat and is willing to pay someone to fill it.
In both cases, treat the other side not as a superior, but as an equal collaborating with you from the same side of the table to find a win-win (and expect to be treated the same too). If you’re shown disrespect, don’t take it personally, but you can tactfully push back to reset the balance of power (there are many ways to do this depending on the situation, a topic for a future newsletter and podcast!).
The cost of short-sighted wins
During discussions over aid distribution, the EU Commission proposed sending food into Albania quickly and for free. This sounded like an obvious win, especially when the country was facing shortages of basic needs.
Arben rejected it.
His concern was downstream consequences: there would be no order to how the food would be collected and accounted for. He foresaw opportunities for corruption, the undermining of local markets, and weaker supply chain systems. Instead, he proposed a structure where food aid would be brought into the country in collaboration with local agencies on the ground, sold fairly and transparently, and the proceeds would be used to fund social and employment programs to help invigorate the economy.
This, of course, was harder and would require more coordination. The payoff was not obvious in the short-term. But it aligned with his broader objective of rebuilding systems that last, not dependency.
The easiest yes is often the one that costs you later, a lesson that’s all the more relevant to job seekers. If you say yes quickly to the first offer and don’t negotiate, you’ve almost certainly left money on the table and the lower comp will follow you into all your future promotion, raises, and future jobs. This is because how much you’re paid for promotions, raises, and new roles is largely based on your current earnings. These lost earnings will compound through the years, and over the span of your career, can cost you hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars in the long run.
Building credibility through systems, not trust
One of the most concrete examples of Arben’s negotiations approach centered around the most important part of his job: cleaning up the fallout from the pyramid schemes and establishing lasting financial stability in his country. Deloitte was brought in to help administer the process. Arben refused to sign off the deal unless there was also an independent third party auditing Deloitte itself.
This was unpopular. Donors and his negotiating counterparts argued it was unnecessary, expensive, and would slow things down. Deloitte pushed back too. Arben still refused to sign off.
His reasoning was simple. The stakes were too high, and public trust was already broken. Even the appearance of opacity would damage legitimacy. By insisting on a second layer of oversight, he removed the need for anyone to “trust” intentions. The system itself provided accountability.
This is an underused negotiation move. Instead of simply going off of one’s word or asking the other side to trust you, redesign the structure so belief is no longer required.
When applying to jobs, don’t take what a company says and all the things they promise at face value. Don’t just go off of what the recruiter said over a call, but capture it in writing via email. And avoid negotiating until you have the written offer letter.
A closing thought
This episode is not about heroic negotiations or winning against all odds. It’s about something more practical.
Leverage, in Arben’s context, didn’t come from power plays. It came from framing the negotiation as a collaboration, being unwilling to trade away long-term goals for short-term relief, and designing transparent systems to establish credibility.
Listen to the full conversation with Arben here:
Best,
Gerta & Alex
Co-founders, YourNegotiations.com
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