Negotiations Lab

Catalog description

The ability to negotiate effectively and confidently is a learnable skill. It all starts with a foundation of basic principles and the space to experiment with how you respond in different negotiation scenarios. The negotiations lab provides you with both. First we'll focus on the basic principles through definitions, examples, and simulation exercises. As you get a handle on the principles, we'll then shift focus to experimenting with how you personally might respond in different scenarios. A key premise of the class is that different interpersonal styles can be equally effective in obtaining the desired outcome, but you need to identify what can work for you, from pacing to precise phrases. To facilitate this experimentation, you'll receive feedback with your peers and systematically reflect on the process. The lab will be co-taught by a lecturer with a long history of business negotiations. Several guests will visit to speak about negotiations in their particular area of expertise. As a final project, you will also develop a negotiation case. Doing so requires thinking through the precise structure of a negotiation and thinking through how the parties perceive the positions and asks of the others. You are encouraged to draw on personal experiences to develop the case.