Managing Negotiations and Project Conflict Resolution - 2 days

Effective negotiating skills are an essential tool for survival and advancement in today's business environment. It is often understood that sales and customer service representatives need effective interpersonal skills. However, reengineering, restructuring, and other significant changes in organizational process have required that all employees develop a wider range of interactional/communication skills.

As project teams become the essential mode for organizational productivity, staff have discovered the need for skills which support effective negotiations, collaboration, and conflict management. Although it may go unrecognized, such skills, which can result in successful interactions with colleagues, subordinates, customers, vendors and managers, are all negotiation skills.

What You Will Achieve

• The understanding of the importance of viewing project negotiations from the perspective of all project stakeholders involved.

• A Definition and Model for Negotiation-limits of an adversarial approach and the strengths of a collaborative approach across the five, project management group processes of the project life cycle.

• The Importance of Preparation-the use of analysis to assess both party's project and personal objectives, issues, and benefits.
  The steps Necessary for Developing Rapport, Trust, and Credibility-verbal and non-verbal communication skills; the development of an effective listening model.

• The Importance of Conflict Management-how to deal with hostility and anger while focusing on the project issues to be resolved within the project's triple constraints.

• The Development of a Collaborative Approach for Mutual Gain-problem solving vs. bargaining in the construction of effective and realistic customer project teams agreements.

• Understanding and Using Power-how to effectively use power in the collaborative process. Recognizing the authority and responsibility levels of all project stakeholders.

• Effective Methods for Handling "Power Tactics"-how to respond to hardball tactics and dirty tricks, allowing you to convert your potential "opponent" into your "partner". Going beyond the project's contract change management process.

• Gaining Commitment and Avoiding Postponements-the importance of uncovering and exploring acceptable alternatives and establishing effective responses to demands.(return to top)