Negotiation Skills Training Activity

A negotiation skills training activity to help your team members, managers and leadership teams improve their negotiation skills face to face or online via zoom

Contents:

  • Tutor Notes
  • Learner Notes
  • The Scenario
  • Individual Confidential Information
  • Observation Sheet
  • Activity Debrief
  • 7 Steps to Negotiation

Just £25

We love to develop leadership skills (at all levels) and one thing our learners hear a lot (from us) is every journey, both mental and physical, starts with self-awareness.

Negotiation is a skill every leader and manager needs so their emotional awareness before entering any negotiation needs to be at the forefront of their mind and this negotiation skills training activity does exactly that.

Contact us if you need to discuss any training goals you may have either face to face or online.

Negotiation Skills Training Activity

Our negotiation skills training activity takes from 30 minutes to up to an hour depending on how deep you go with the debrief. We've used this as a 90 minute online training activity, the last 30/45 minutes given to the learners to come up with a negotiation charter that they will all stick to, it's really effective. We also use it in our day long session, if you need further information about this or any other training course/activity we have please don't hesitate to contact us.

Depending on the size of your group the learners can be split up into 2's or 3's (the third being an observer and we have included the observation sheet for them to use). If you use observers they aren't exposed to any of the information that the other two are briefed on so they can remain neutral and get to observe how the other two communicate (or don't)!  

The main goal of the negotiation skills training activity is to teach the learners the different stages of negotiation listed below. The structured approach ensures that there is an agreement and that a plan is set for future action – or what’s the point.

The process of negotiation:

  1. Preparation
  2. Discussion
  3. Clarification
  4. Negotiate towards a Win-Win
  5. Agreement
  6. Implementation actions

Preparation

Before any negotiation takes place, a decision needs to be taken as to when and where a meeting will take place to discuss the problem and who will attend.  Setting a limited timescale can also be helpful to prevent the disagreement continuing.

This stage involves ensuring all the relevant facts of the situation are known in order to clarify each other’s position

Discussion

During this stage, individuals or members of each side put forward the case as they see it, i.e. their understanding of the situation. 

Key skills during this stage include questioning, active and mindful listening and clarifying points raised. It’s important to take notes during the discussion stage to record all points put forward in case there is need for further clarification.  There's a saying among negotiators that whoever talks the most during a negotiation loses.  Each side should have an equal opportunity to present their case.

Clarification

From the discussion, the goals, interests, and viewpoints of both sides of the disagreement need to be clarified. It is helpful to list these factors in order of priority. With this clarification it is often possible to identify or establish some common ground. Clarification is an essential part of the negotiation process, without it misunderstandings are likely to occur which may cause problems and barriers to reaching a beneficial outcome.

Negotiate Towards a Win-Win

This stage focuses on a 'win-win' outcome where both sides feel they have gained something positive through the process of negotiation and both sides feel their point of view has been taken into consideration. A win-win outcome is usually the best result. Although this may not always be possible, through negotiation, it should be the ultimate goal. Suggestions of alternative strategies and compromises need to be considered at this point also.

Agreement

Agreement can be achieved once understanding of both sides’ viewpoints and interests have been considered.  Like a parachute the mind is best used when it’s open and it’s essential for everybody involved to keep an open mind in order to achieve an acceptable solution, we’d visit this in the preparation stage.  Any agreement needs to be made perfectly clear so that both sides know what has been decided.

Implementing Actions

From the agreement, a course of action has to be implemented to carry through the decision. It’s also a good idea for each member of the negotiation to self-assess their own performance and whether or not there is any room for improvement for the next negotiation.

Other Training Activities you may be Interested in that we sell separately:




As well as lots of smaller businesses and organisations, below are examples of some larger organisations who have received training from our director of learning at Ultimate Leadership Training:


spring care

arches
Zeelo

branded
Gatwick School

ned
catch

Nimbus
CAB

Please contact us to discuss any training requirements you have, we either deliver for you or sell you the course for your trainers to deliver to your team


Thanks for visiting our negotiation skills training activity page, here is a link to our homepage. You may also be interested in our other training activities which can be found here. We also recommend never split the difference by Chris Voss for further reading, here a link for further information

Negotiation Skills Training