Negotiation Skills
Introduction
The course is aimed at developing analytical and communication skills that are necessary for successful business negotiations. The negotiation is described as a complex three-stage process, which consists of preparation, negotiating, and post-negotiation implementation and evaluation.
This course combines both theoretical knowledge of ‘Negotiation’ and practical experience through learning by doing. The students will be engaged in business games, trainings, group discussions and creative tasks.
Objectives
We are always negotiating while at work or even in our personal lives. It is easy to recognize negotiation at work, but we may not notice that in a way we are continually negotiating at home too – for example, you’re discussing with your wife which restaurant to go to for dinner on a night out.
Knowing:
1. The process of negotiation
2. Its stages, elements & strategies
3. Acquiring skills of a successful negotiator
4. Learning the techniques and developing the flair & finesse that expert negotiators use/have
5. Recognizing the value of win-win negotiations that sustain
6. Applying different negotiation models
7. Knowing the pros & cons of your negotiation style
8. Anticipating the other’s moves & discerning their manipulations & tactics and more…in short, learning how to become an effective negotiator
Learning Outcome
Delegates successfully completing the course will be able to:
• Describe the actions taken on different stages of negotiations
• Appreciate and explain the importance of pre-negotiation and post-negotiation phases
• List the roles and functions in negotiation teams
• Demonstrate the skills of organizing and managing negotiation teams
• Formulate and apply the instruments of negotiation strategy and tactics
• Identify the zone of possible agreement (ZOPA) in negotiations
• Explain the functions of the best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA); recognize and use BATNA in negotiations
• Distinguish positions from interests in negotiations, discover interests of the other side in negotiations, and create interest maps
• Identify different negotiation scenarios
• Differentiate methods of dealing with conflict according to K. Thomas and R. Kilmann; choose the suitable model as the situation requires
• Differentiate negotiation mental models according to L. Thompson; identify and change the partner’s mental model
• Describe negotiation styles in different cultures; adjust negotiation tactics to cultural differences
Methodology
Interactive lecture, PowerPoint Presentation, Role Play, Question and answer session.
Contents of Training:
Section One: Introduction
• Definition – what is negotiation?
• Negotiation Process
• Negotiation vs. other social interactions
• Aspects of negotiation
• Location
• Physical arrangements
• Number of parties
• Number of participants
• Audiences (news, media, competitors, fellow vendors etc.)
• Communication channels
• Time limit
Section Two: Preparing for the negotiation
• Goal-setting: identifying your goals, options and criteria of success
• Identifying your BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement) and ZOPA (zone of possible agreement)
• Assessing the other side – knowing as much as possible who & what you’re dealing with
• Knowing your situation, strengths, weaknesses & handicaps
• Learning about catalysts and barriers of successful collaboration
• Designing a negotiation plan
• Creating a negotiation team when the stakes are high
Section Three: Actual Negotiations
• 3 phases of actual negotiations: initial phase, exploratory phase and finalization
• Rational and emotional elements of trust, cultural and psychological differences of trusting people
• Tactics for promoting a constructive negotiation climate
• Positions and interests in negotiations
• 4 negotiation scenarios: win-win, win-lose, lose-win, lose-lose
• The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument in negotiations
• Leigh Thompson’s 5 negotiation mental models
• Negotiation styles
• Instruments of negotiations
• The role of outside actors in negotiations: the media and interest groups
• Finalization: overcoming impasse
• Reaching an agreement, types of agreements
Section Four: Negotiation Strategies
• Positional bargaining
• Principled negotiations by Roger Fisher and William Ury
• Mixed negotiating by Willem Mastenbroek
• 3-D Negotiation by David Lax and James Sebenius
Section Five: Countering manipulation and psychological press
• The methods and algorithms of revealing and countering manipulation
• Transactional analysis in negotiations
Section Six: Post-negotiation stage
• Implementation and compliance
• Post-negotiation assessment and evaluation
Section Seven: Special negotiation cases
• International and cross-cultural negotiations
• Crisis negotiations
Section Eight:
▪ Adapting the Process for Smaller Negotiations
▪ Negotiating via Telephone
▪ Negotiating via Email
