School of Negotiation based on business practice

1st ONLINE session Interpersonal training 

The most important tool in a negotiator’s job is the negotiator themselves. This is why classes at the School
of Negotiation begin with a 5-day interpersonal training, which improves emotional intelligence skills.
During the training, the participants:

• analyze and improve their own behavior, communication, and interpersonal relationship building styles
• receive feedback on their strengths and weaknesses in interpersonal relationships
• develop assertiveness, i.e. the skill of expressing opinions, making proposals, refusing, setting boundaries, enforcing requirements, responding to criticism and objections
• improve the skills of behaving appropriately in difficult and conflict situations and handling difficult emotions
• reinforce the sense of agency and constructive self-confidence

2nd an 3nd ONLINE sessions Negotiation strategies

At the second session, the participants are familiarized with the structure and dynamics of the negotiation process. They acquire the knowledge that underlies the ability to take over the control of the negotiation process. By taking part in simulation games, they learn the 5 Negotiation Meta-Goals model. Defining a meta-goal at the stage of preparation for negotiations is required for identifying the areas where the negotiator can generate benefits. It also permits the determination of a recommended negotiation strategy and, what follows, the spectrum of tools and techniques applicable in a given situation.

Key issues:

• 5 Negotiation Meta-Goals model
• preparation for negotiations and its stages
• setting negotiation goals and methods of achieving them
• negotiation strategies and styles: integrative negotiations, distributive negotiations; package negotiations
• interest versus negotiation position, interest versus agreement stability
• ways of handling a negotiation deadlock

4th ONLINE session Game theory in negotiations

Game theory defines various models of making the best possible decisions in the conditions of uncertainty.
It is widely applicable in negotiations, since it specifies the strategies leading to benefit maximization. On the second training day, the participants continue looking at the negotiation process from the meta-level. They experience diverse negotiation situations and check what consequences arise from making intuitive choices.

Key issues:

• negotiations and game theory (the notion of utility according to von Neumann and Morgenstern)
• zero-sum games and their solutions in pure and mixed strategies
• non-zero-sum games and their connection with interpersonal relationship building
• the prisoner’s dilemma as an example of a game we play nearly every day
• iterated games: the issue of trust and loyalty in negotiations

5th ONLINE session Conflict management 

Conflict is an inherent component of negotiation processes. It arises every time a discrepancy in aspirations
or an inconsistency of interests or opinions occurs. An effective negotiator discerns various dimensions of conflict. They can bring conflicts to the common, negotiable plane, at the same time avoiding their escalation.
In this training module, the participants will take a closer look at conflict and the process of its resolution as tools of building long-term relationships with negotiation partners.

Key issues:

• conflict diagnosis: levels and dimensions of a conflict situation
• negotiable and non-negotiable conflict areas: the Circle of Conflict model
• negotiations as a tool of resolving conflict of interest
• “conflict cap”: how to prevent escalation of conflict in negotiations

6th ONLINE session Negotiator’s power building

Negotiation success depends not only on the cards the player has but also, and foremost, on how they can play the cards. In other words, the negotiation power is largely based on how one is perceived by their negotiation partner. At this training session, the participants analyze the factors that build the negotiator’s power and translate them into their own negotiation style. They find the balance between two contradictory dimensions of power:
the skill of communicating one’s needs boldly and the skill of getting to the needs of the other party. The power building training is supported with a negotiation game created on the basis of a case concerning negotiations between a media house and television stations.

Key issues:

• the role of assertive behaviors in building the negotiator’s power
• internal convictions as a source of power/weakness in negotiations
• perceptual errors influencing negotiation decisions
• one’s own communication, reasoning, decision-making, action style
• training of the communication skills which foster reaching a satisfactory agreement
• power building through active listening and getting to the needs of negotiation partners
• handling manipulation in negotiations

The business commentator will be Zofia Sanejko, Vice-President of the Management Board and Media Buying Director at Universal McCann.

7th ONLINE session Priority management in negotiations

At the session, the participants master their personal negotiation techniques during painstaking distributive negotiations. They prepare for conducting emotionally difficult negotiations, learn about the role of persistence and calmness on their way towards a negotiation success. The achievement of this goal is facilitated
by a negotiation game consisting in creating a new formula of franchise stores, which requires the development of various organizational and logistic solutions in multilateral negotiations.

Key issues:

• priority management in negotiation talks
• discovery of balance between interests of diverse groups of contracting parties
• training of effective management of emotions in difficult interpersonal situations

The commentator will be Marc Dherment, Head of Target Group Management Traders & Franchising at Makro Cash & Carry. Earlier, at Casino Group, he held the function of Leader Price Operations Director.

8th ONLINE session 1. Negotiations in a crisis situation 2. Temperamental differences in negotiations

Negotiations in a crisis situation

A negotiation success requires time, persistence, and the ability to separate behaviors from emotions. A common negotiation error is an attempt to influence the choices of the negotiation partner too soon. In the situation of an emotional tension on both sides, such an action usually leads to a deadlock. The School of Negotiation attendees are familiarized with communication mechanisms in emotionally difficult situations through an 8-hour simulation of negotiations between the police and an abductor. They go through the Behavioral Change Stairway Model, according to which influencing the behavior of the other party is possible only by building a good relationship based on active listening and empathy. The participants experience also reduced attention and motivation, which frequently accompanies lengthy negotiation processes. They learn how to deal with tiredness and minimize
its impact on the effect of talks

Key issues:

• maintenance of the direction of the talk despite stress
• training of control of one’s own feelings and emotional states
• Behavioral Change Stairway: the module is delivered by a police negotiator

Impact of temperament on negotiations

In this module, the participants will be familiarized with the model of 4 temperament types distinguished by C.G. Jung. We focus on individual differences, which are reflected in the communication, thinking, action,
and decision-making style in negotiations. The model offers also the knowledge of the potential areas
for misunderstandings and tensions between negotiators representing different functioning styles.

Key issues:

• self-diagnosis: my argumentation, decision-making, and action style
• influencing of negotiation partners with different personality types
• training of talks with various types of negotiation partners

9th ONLINE session 1. Negotiations oriented towards loss reduction 2. Cultural differences in negotiations

Until now, the School of Negotiation attendees have taken part in a dozen or so negotiation simulations to learn how to gain benefits. During this module, they master their negotiation techniques in the situation of loss reduction. At the same time, they struggle with their own attitudes: pessimism, greed, temptation to bluff.
The negotiation game they play is based on a real case of negotiation talks with creditors taking place
in the situation of risk of bankruptcy.
Key issues:

• information management in negotiations
• use of the real and apparent power in negotiation talks
• communication management in the negotiation team

The business commentator will be Maciej Radziwiłł, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of PKP Energetyka. Former President of the Management Board – Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Trakcja-Tiltra S.A.
and the Supervisory Board of Quercus TFI S.A.

10th ONLINE session Cultural differences 

An important component of negotiation processes is the situational context of the talks. After completing
the module discussing cultural differences in negotiations, the participants become aware of the diversity
in the “cultural programming” of different nations. They can translate these differences into practical business applications in the sphere of organizing and conducting meetings, negotiating, managing, providing feedback. They enhance the effectiveness of their functioning in a multicultural environment.

Key issues:

• what is culture and what are its key manifestations in everyday life?
• Hofstede’s model of 4 cultural dimensions
• experience of culture and culture shock
• Thinking Patterns™: consequences of culture in business environment in selected countries
• behavior strategies: how to deal with cultural differences in practice

11th ONLINE session Negotiations in change

Change is an inherent element of complex negotiation processes. The external and internal conditions affecting negotiators change. The talks can result in organizational change or social change. The School of Negotiation attendees undergo the training of negotiating change by playing a game developed on the basis of the proces
of reaching an agreement on a Pension Reform. They take part in simulations of the talks held in the Tripartite Commission between representatives of trade unions, the government, and employers. Their task is to achieve clearly set financial goals while maintaining social support.

Key issues:

• training of the skills of recognizing subject-matter and non-subject-matter dimensions of conflicts
• goal orientation in negotiations
• change management in the negotiation process
• costs of the negotiation process

The commentator will be Jeremi Mordasiewicz, Member of the Supervisory Board of Dr Irena Eris SA and ZUS (Social Insurance Institution). Co-Founder of Business Centre Club, former Advisor of the Management Board
of the Polish Confederation of Private Employers “Lewiatan”. Represents entrepreneurs in the Polish Social Dialogue Council.

12th ONLINE session End of the School of Negotiation: a negotiation tournament, a feedback session

During the last School session, the participants integrate all negotiation skills in a simulation of complex, multi-stage negotiations that take between ten and twenty hours. The game they play is based on a case of the “Polish deal of the century”, i.e. the purchase of the Mažeikiai refinery. They are supposed to successfully negotiate favorable and long-lasting agreements in the economic, social, and political areas.
The business commentator will be Igor Chalupec, Managing Partner of ICENTIS Corporate Solutions S.K.A. Former President of PKN Orlen (2004–2007), Deputy Minister of Finance (2003–2004), Vice-President
of the Management Board of Bank Pekao SA (2000–2003).

At the end of the School, the participants are provided with a comprehensive feedback showing, among others, the evolution of their negotiation method over the whole cycle.