The persuaders ñ countering the myths of negotiation

Myths about negotiation abound. One is that you must be borne with negotiation skills and can do little if you are not. Another, is that negotiation is all about winning and that you should start with the highest price and be prepared to meet in the middle.

All this is a world away for the subtle and informed approach taken by The Oxford Programme on Negotiation which will run at Sad Business School at the University of Oxford in mid July when some of the worldís leading speakers on negotiation will share their insights and considerable experience of negotiation with a group of senior business people.

Tim Cullen, Director of the programme explains: ëNegotiation is crucial in all organisations and in virtually every aspect of modern business. In essence, negotiation is deciding what to agree on and persuading the other party to agree. At Oxford, our approach to this is to bring in some of the worldís best negotiators ñ not just from business but from the political and legal spheres for instance ñ and to engage the participants in a dynamic and challenging process to improve their negotiating abilities. We use case studies, exercises, simulations and role-play as well as the more traditional teaching techniques to develop and practice the skills of negotiation and to relate it to the participantsí own experiences and real world concerns. This year, we are introducing the very important dimension of ethics in negotiation which is increasingly significantí.

The Oxford Programme on Negotiation identifies five major skills required to build successful agreements:

- Gathering the right information
- Deciding rationally about goals and strategies
- Communicating persuasively
- Developing creative solutions
- And implementing sustainable agreements

Speakers at the week long July programme include Gary Orren, a Harvard Professor who has advised politicians, pollsters, spin-doctors and corporations around the world. He delivers a high energy, spellbinding class on persuasion starting with Aristotle and ending with Clintonís unsuccessful attempts at healthcare reform. Throughout he demonstrates how persuasion techniques can be used to achieve the desired results. Professor Leonard Greenhalgh, who has created some of the most widely acclaimed role plays in this field, explores with participants negotiation and organisational strategy.

According to Cullen, ëLen Greenhalgh and our other professors stress how to look for ways to expand the potential areas for agreement. Good negotiators seek to identify what is of low cost to them (which they can afford to concede) and of high value (which they want to gain). Understanding what is of low cost and high value to the other side will often enable both parties to achieve mutual gains.í

Richard Latham, Q.C, who led the successful prosecution of Ian Huntley in the Soham murder trial in the UK and who has appeared in numerous murder and serious fraud cases, brings valuable insights from his experience of influencing jurors and teaching advocacy to barristers. Sir Marrick Goulding, former Undersecretary General of the United Nations for peacekeeping and political affairs, shares his experiences of negotiating cease-fires and peace settlements around the world. One of the course participants from previous years, Juan Coderque, from the International Committee of the Red Cross is also returning to share his experiences of how he has put the programme into use in his role as the head of the Red Cross offices in Gaza and Lebanon.

ëThis is not just a tips and techniques courseí says Tim Cullen, ëbut a challenging masterclass in how to negotiate more effectively in all aspects of business life ñ not just when you are doing deals. It is solidly grounded in the underlying cognitive psychology of human behaviour and gives participants invaluable insights to help them bargain effectively whilst achieving a satisfactory result for all partiesí.