Introduction
Positional bargaining is probably the most common form of negotiation. Sometimes this approach is entirely appropriate. The trouble with positional bargaining is that it can seriously damage relationships and can lead to outcomes which are not optimal. Negotiation can become an emotional battle of wills rather than a search for a deal that produces maximum benefit. Many successful organisations are now ensuring that their people are trained in the Harvard method, often referred to as Mutual Gains – an approach to negotiation that seeks to enhance relationships, or at least not damage them, and to create as much value as possible from a negotiation.
In large part, the Harvard method solves the old dilemma: how do you get the best possible deal whilst maintaining a successful commercial relationship with the people on the other side of the table.
At Negotiation Workshop we believe strongly that successful negotiators need to be experts in both positional bargaining and Harvard method, and that is why we teach both. Positional bargaining is widely taught in the UK, sometimes well, more often not, but there are few educators that have sufficient knowledge and experience of the Harvard approach. Lead consultant at Negotiation Workshop, David Bryson, is one of the leading proponents of the code in Europe. He has been trained at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, most recently as part of the invitation-only Advanced Negotiation Masterclass, as well as applying the approach in many of his own high-value negotiations.
Objectives
Following the workshop, participants will be able to:
- Achieve optimal outcomes whilst enhancing, or at least not damaging relationships
- Understand the problems that positional bargaining can create
- Examine and critique the core Harvard/Mutual Gains methodology
- Deal with pushback, applying the Breakthrough Strategy
- Re-frame a scenario to encourage profitable collaboration
- Deal with aggressive and emotional negotiators as well as difficult situations
- Understand how to increase their power in a negotiation
- Maximise the impact of skilled communication in the negotiation environment
- Incorporate Harvard/Mutual Gains elements within comprehensive preparation
- Understand the potential benefits of discovering what lies behind people’s stated positions, potentially allowing an outcome that satisfies all parties
- Appreciate the considerable value in understanding the best alternatives to a negotiated outcome – for themselves and the other side
- Apply the skills required to create additional, perhaps non-obvious value from negotiations
- Understand the benefits of contingent contracts
- Carry out internal negotiations in an appropriate manner
Teaching method: tutor-instruction, case-studies, syndicate work and video-reviewed negotiation simulations
Duration: 3 days, or 2 days for graduates of The Skilled Negotiator or The Complete Skilled Negotiator workshops
Who is it for? The workshop can be adapted for negotiators of all experience levels.
Group size: Minimum 4 people; maximum 12 people.
Please contact us for further information regarding the ‘Harvard-Method’ workshop.
Booster sessions take place within 4 months of a workshop. The objective is to revise and reinforce the workshop content including sharing experiences post-workshop. Normally this will include the full group of participants and will be organised and facilitated by the Negotiation Workshop tutor online.