Negotiation Skills
Diplomats negotiate all the time. This workshop aims at improving participants’ analytical and interpersonal skills in their ongoing negotiation, and make sure they do first things first in multilateral environments. It is important to prepare before action, especially when strong coalitions and consensus are needed, and to improve the quality of relationship, internally through the mandate, and externally with the representatives of other partner states, before any other action. Negotiating the process and agenda is needed before dealing with problems and issues. In a meeting, negotiators must also communicate effectively, and use effective listening before speaking, asking relevant questions before presenting persuasive arguments. They also need to identify common platforms with others, before they express their own demands. In other words, participants will become more aware of how they behave in negotiation contexts, and whether or not they should behave the same way, or differently.
In order to make this training workshop as interactive as possible, simulations and role-playing are used and discussed. Participants are asked to describe good practices. They are also provided with techniques for their daily negotiations in Geneva, for their preparations, actions, and reviews.
The objectives for this event are the following:
• Increase awareness of negotiation complexity in multilateral settings;
• Improve analysis of your own negotiation methods and those of others;
• Deal efficiently with tensions, differences, and conflicts in international contexts;
• Improve working relationships, internally and externally and building consensus;
• Reach responsible outcomes, especially in multi-party contexts.
Session 1: Negotiation Strategy
Case: International Decision Making (multilateral preparation and external interactions)
Key Negotiation Dimensions:
• People: Trust/prudence, intent/impact, empathy/assertiveness, listening/speaking
• Problems: Cooperation/competition, values/value, gains/risks
• Process: Principal/agent, mandate/implementation, across/behind the table
Session 2: Preparation of the Mandate and Negotiation Process
Case: Towards a Complex Agreement (bilateral negotiation)
Key Assets for Preparation:
• What we negotiate (motivations, solutions at the table and away from the table, justification)
• Who we negotiate with (relationship, instructions, stakeholders’ map)
• How we negotiate (organization of the meeting, communication)
Session 3: Conflict Resolution Facilitated by a Third Party
Case: Mediating an Ethnic Conflict (multilateral negotiation)
Key Negotiation Steps:
• Group Preparation: information, invention, evaluation, decision
• Process of the meeting: purpose, process, product, people, planning, and place
• Review: internal and external, dealing with the press
Session 4: Complex Negotiations
Case: Managing the Crisis (multilateral negotiation)
Key Principles: what to do first and second in negotiation
This workshop provides a simple, user-friendly methodology with which to construct audience-focused negotiation skills. The sessions will be highly participative in nature, combining short presentations, exercises, case studies, discussion groups and video analysis. Preparation and active participation are the keys to the success of this workshop.
The workshop is open to members of Permanent Missions/Embassies accredited to the United Nations Offices at Geneva (UNOG), international civil servants and private sector leaders. Students whose work or studies are related to this subject are also encouraged to apply. UNITAR reserves the right to make a selection among candidates. The selected candidates are requested to regard their participation as a firm commitment.
The workshop will take place at the International Environment House (IEH) in Conference Room (TBC); Châtelaine, Geneva.