XCUS-401 - The Role of Manager as Negotiator

Course Description

Effective negotiation skills are increasingly important for executives, leaders, and managers in the commercial world. There are a number of reasons for this: the increasingly dynamic nature of business, increased interdependence of people and firms, increased global competition, ever-improving technology and greater diversity. Given the role Nakilat plays in society, it is especially important for its leaders to be able to accurately assess the interests of its multiple stakeholders (e.g., Nakilat leadership, customers, partners, employees, citizens) and to negotiate innovative solutions to address their wide-ranging concerns. Moreover, with the pandemic, most professionals are negotiating online rather than in person. Therefore, we will explore how negotiation might be different when mediated by technology.

In this course, personal skill development will be achieved through lively discussion and active participation in negotiation exercises. To maximize the value derived from this course, it is important to understand a few key assumptions. First, negotiation is a comprehensible social process. It is not a mystical process in a black box; it can be analyzed, understood, and modeled. Second, negotiation is a learnable and teachable skill. Negotiators are made, not born, and skills can be improved throughout life. Third, change and improvement in negotiating behavior require a combination of intellectual training and behavioral skill development.

The objective of this course is to increase your personal effectiveness as a negotiator—internally and externally. In particular, this course will help you identify effective strategies for improving your negotiation outcomes. Importantly, you will get a chance to try various strategies and tactics in the course of negotiation simulations in class. A template for preparing a winning negotiation plan will be examined as well as typical pitfalls and traps encountered by less skilled negotiators.