Courageous Conversation -- Collaborative Negotiation

'Your collaborative approach to negotiation hit a 'home run' with our members, who represent a wide variety of professions, from family court judge to bond trader. What a high standard you have set for future speakers and programs!

'Your knowledge of the workplace, coupled with your sharp negotiation skills, makes you an invaluable resource for professional women. We hope that you will consider conducting another seminar for BBPW.'

— Beverly Savage, Barnard Business and Professional Women, Barnard College/ Columbia University

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'I just want to tell you that it was very inspiring and I am very proud to say that I have actually applied the things you spoke to us about [in the Collaborative Negotiation Seminar].'

— Account Supervisor, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide

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'Thanks to your participation, our Entrepreneurial Woman Series presentation on Collaborative Negotiation Skills was extremely well received. Information is power, and many women will make better decisions because they have that information.'

— Executive Director, The Center for Women

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'I have received overwhelmingly positive feedback about your [Collaborative Negotiation] course and the excellent instruction that you provide. I really want to speak with you about creating a follow-up course for the fall term.'

— Director, Professional Programs, Baruch College

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'Your interactive seminar occasioned favorable comment and we appreciate your following up by sending slides, as several members of the President's Council asked for copies. We are interested in further training and use of your materials in situations that call for mediation. The Provost and General Counsel will be in contact to engage your services.'

— President, Medical University of South Carolina

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'I knew I wanted a career change away from the non-stop management consultant's life. Elaine's executive coaching assisted me in sorting out my priorities and redefining my career and life objectives with an eye towards a more balanced work and personal life. My new role affords me the opportunity to take on professional challenges while leaving time for my personal interests.'

— P. Dintrans, Senior IT Executive and former Management Consultant

Collaborative Negotiation is a communication paradigm that enables workplace issues to be discussed with decency, respect and integrity, using proven negotiation techniques rooted in mediation theory. Executives and managers learn collaborative language skills and techniques that can profoundly change outcomes by influencing the manner in which they negotiate and manage productive discussions within daily internal interfaces and with outside clients.

1. COLLABORATIVE NEGOTIATION SEMINAR

Business executives, managers, attorneys and health care professionals are negotiating everyday. In fact, the ability to negotiate effectively is likely one of the most highly valued business competencies for those working in today's super-paced, technology-driven, corporate environments.

This seminar offers an introduction to a skill set using concepts that can significantly enhance professionals' ability to negotiate and manage conflict through productive discussions in day-to-day intra-organizational and outside client interfaces.

Collaborative Negotiation enables business professionals to:

Build strategic partnerships, essential for success in a team oriented environment or an outside client relationship
Create non-judgmental forums for discussion
Gain a better understanding of a fellow colleague's or client's positions and underlying interests toward a better working relationship and work product
Create win-win solutions

2. ADVANCED COLLABORATIVE NEGOTIATION SEMINAR

This two-day seminar offers an in-depth skill building opportunity for those seeking to master collaborative and integrated bargaining skills. Starting with the theoretical basics offered in the Collaborative Negotiation Seminar, this advanced seminar then moves on to a second full day that focuses on master skill building and coaching through roles plays.

Following day one, participants (in pairs) are asked to provide role play scenarios for day two. This process assures relevancy to participants' particular workplace issues. The pairs act out their role play, modeling the skills discussed in day one. Together, the facilitator and participants coach and critique role plays using neutral, collaborative language to enhance skill mastery.

Advanced Collaborative Negotiation enables business professionals to:

Build strategic partnerships, essential for successful leadership in a team oriented environment
Enhance relationships with direct reports and supervisors, using decency, respect and integrity as touchstones
Create non-judgmental forums for discussion
Gain a better understanding of a fellow colleague's or client's positions and underlying interests toward enhanced relationship management and work product
Obtain greater levels of support and cooperation
Identify and address crucial obstacles
Create an environment to generate customized win-win solutions
Develop agreements that work and consider all parties' needs and interests
Practice and apply key skills

3. INDIVIDUAL COLLABORATIVE NEGOTIATION COACHING

Collaborative Negotiation Coaching is typically a one-on-one, year-long, in-depth skill building opportunity for those seeking to integrate collaborative bargaining skills into their leadership and management styles. Coaching clients master a skill set using concepts that will profoundly influence the way they, as professionals, negotiate, manage and lead productive discussions within daily, intra-organizational and outside client interfaces.

This comprehensive Collaborative Negotiation Coaching program assists the coaching client in mastering the concepts behind negotiating workplace issues with decency, respect and integrity, using proven techniques rooted in mediation theory.

The coach uses the coaching client's day-to-day work issues and conflicts as curricula content. (The coach is an attorney and will sign a confidentiality agreement if requested.) This approach ensures relevancy to the coaching client's particular workplace issues and sets the stage for a steep learning curve.

Collaborative Negotiation Coaching (Part I) enables professionals to:

Build strategic partnerships, essential for leadership and success in a team oriented environment
Enhance interpersonal relationships with direct reports and supervisors via respect and integrity
Create non-judgmental forums for discussion
Gain a better understanding of a fellow colleague's or client's positions and underlying interests toward better work product
Obtain greater levels of support and cooperation
Identify and address crucial obstacles
Create an environment to generate customized win-win solutions
Develop agreements that work and consider all parties' needs and interests
Practice and apply key skills

The second half of the Collaborative Negotiation Coaching program trains the coaching client to utilize mediation and conflict management techniques to build long-term strategic partnerships and better manage and resolve disputes with both outside business relationships and internal teams. Accordingly, the coaching client is likely to be viewed as a seasoned, skilled leader within his or her organization or any professional setting.

Collaborative Negotiation Coaching (Part II) enables professionals to:

Understand why we are surrounded by more conflict than ever and why conflict is good for corporate business
Set the stage for a difficult discussion between two conflicted parties
Be as neutral as possible, refraining from taking sides or influencing outcomes
Use active listening and neutral language skills
Develop conflict resolution goals, objectives and agendas
Generate movement at impasse
Caucus with parties separately, while building trust and maintaining confidences
Obtain agreement
Write agreements that work and understand why it is important to do so
Lead and influence colleagues by modeling collaborative resolution processes while building long-term strategic partnerships