University of Waikato Law students and best friends Jarom Murphy and Zachary Katene teamed up to defeat 28 other university teams from Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia in the Australian National Negotiation Competition held recently in Hobart, Australia.
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The week-long team competition covered a variety of scenarios with diverse legal issues, including divorce settlement, employment dispute, Britain leaving the EU, negotiating a rental agreement and compensation for damages to property, among others.
According to Murphy, the teams that participated went through a rigorous process to be invited to the competition. “So, essentially, the conference was made up of some of the best law students from each university.
“When we were announced the winners, it was such an awesome feeling because everyone was so congratulatory,” he added.
Their first place finish was hard earned, but what may surprise many is both Murphy and Katene believe the top reasons they bested the competition have little to do with their legal education.
They credit their marriages, their religious beliefs and the two years each of them spent sharing those beliefs as voluntary, self-funded, full-time missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Murphy served his mission in the New Zealand Wellington Mission and Katene in the Australia Adelaide Mission.
“In church you learn to be comfortable and confident at public speaking,” said Murphy.
“A mission teaches you how to delicately, but at times firmly, resolve concerns and address issues. It teaches you the skills of really listening and asking inspired questions.
“Inspired questions are like gold in a negotiation,” he said.
Katene agreed that his time as a missionary helped him be a better listener “and to not jump at every opportunity to speak.”
“These skills helped immensely throughout the competition as we sought to understand the other side’s position and respond in the most constructive way possible.
And how did their marriages help them win the competition?
Katene answered, “I definitely learned about asking effective questions on my mission, but I think I have really refined that skill through my marriage.
“Although I am certainly no expert according to my wife,” he quipped.
“A key part of effective relationships is communication. Listening and asking effective questions in a negotiation is a great way to gain an understanding of what is important to both parties,” he continued.
Not surprisingly, Murphy agreed his marriage helped.
”For me marriage is the ultimate practice for negotiating because that’s pretty much what you do on a daily basis. That is the real negotiation competition,” he said.
Although they may not always communicate perfectly with their spouses, it helps that each have a wife with the same spiritual beliefs as them, and common experiences as missionaries.
Yes, like their husbands both Brooke Murphy and Nadia Katene served as missionaries before marrying Jarom and Zachary. Brooke at the Utah Salt Lake Temple City Square Mission and Nadia in the Australia Adelaide Mission, where she first met Zachary,
Murphy simply states his success comes due to serving a mission, marrying an amazing wife and living the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“I had no idea we would have this kind of success. Trust in the Lord. He has promised us that He will bless and prosper us if we are obedient to Him. Seriously, I have seen that.”
Katene said, “Having the gospel in my life gives me the confidence to know that I am unique and special in my own way.”
“I know that excellence is within my grasp. I know that my Father in Heaven has a plan for me and my family, and I do not expect that that plan will come to pass unless I do all I can do in fulfilling my sacred responsibilities.
Both the Katene and Murphy families live in Hamilton.
Contributor: Emmeline Sunnex