Negotiation Skills and Effective Communication (edX)

We start making negotiations as soon as our day begins, through all our interactions, either work, social, or family-related. But have you ever wondered how efficiently you negotiate, and whether you could be better at it? This is a straightforward opportunity to put into practice all the knowledge you have acquired, and to confirm that the negotiation process is dynamic and can always be improved.

We start out with the structure of effective communication in a negotiation, with the intention of identifying our opportunity areas, and improving them through active learning mechanisms.

And what can we say about the role emotions play in a negotiation process? It is necessary to acknowledge, manage, and take advantage of them by using emotional intelligence mechanisms.

Negotiation, by definition, implies the relationship between two or more parties who eventually express opposing interests and demand skills for problem-solving. In this course you will learn to identify and manage its irreversible consequences in advance.

This course is part of the Humanities & Soft Skills MicroMasters Program.

What you'll learn

- Implement the key negotiation skills and styles to carry out effective negotiations and reach satisfactory agreements.

- Adopt communication techniques that improve relationships and stimulate cooperation between the parties involved.

- Develop critical thinking to manage emotions and resolve conflicts in a constructive way.

Syllabus

Topic 1. Structure of a Negotiation

1.1 Negotiation Analysis: the negotiation dance. BATNA and ZOPA

1.2 Skill to develop: Managing the rhythm of the negotiation by interpreting anchors, managing time and the magnitude of offers

Topic 2. Effective Communication in Negotiation

2.1 The Role of Emotions in Negotiation

2.2 Skill to develop: emotional intelligence, self-awareness, self-control, and social management

Topic 3. Interests and Positions

3.1 Classification of interests and definition of objectives. Focus on the problem, not on the person

3.2 Skill to develop: Critical thinking and the generation of alternatives to achieve consensus

Topic 4. Conflict Resolution

4.1 The Conflict Spiral and Its Stages: The thin red line

4.2 Skill to develop: changing the frame of reference, “Framing,” to avoid that the conflict gets out of control in the negotiation process