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Case Studies

Since ENS was established in 1978, it has become the trusted partner of global brands and large corporations. To understand the pivotal role ENS has played in various industries, here are a few stories of how our programs have transformed the way people and organisations view negotiations and the successful outcomes it has helped achieve.

• Posted by ENS Team

Untangling a $100 million crisis

The possibility of a second five-year marketing agreement between the world's largest producer of a certain commodity and a major trading house looked to be destroyed. Our advisers were called in by the producer company to give process advice, check the quality of preparation and to rehearse the team. The second agreement was signed to the benefit of both parties.

Resurrecting a monopoly relationship critical to delivering shareholder value

Video - ahold delhaize: fact based negotiating using scale in europe to improve buying across the region to save for customers.

A negotiation case study video about using scale to improve buying in Europe.

Restoring Predictability in a World-wide Commodity Agreement

Achieving cultural shift in workplace agreement negotiations.

A client in the energy industry was faced with complex workplace negotiations and impending hostile strike action. ENS was called in to intervene and facilitate peaceful negotiations between the two parties.

Humanising the Process of Hostile EBA Negotiations

A client in the printing industry needed to conduct three separate negotiations quickly to avoid threatened strike action. We helped all sides to focus on relationship aspects and 'humanise' the process. Negotiations were concluded quickly, industrial action was avoided and the level of hostility significantly reduced.

Strategic Response to a Price Increase Demand

A client received a demand for a cost increase of over 20%. ENS trained the negotiating team and developed a negotiating strategy that focused on identifying and managing risks via structured questioning. After the negotiation, costs were reduced by more than 20% without straining the business relationship.

Empowering Key Staff to Become Effective Negotiators

The client was renegotiating an annual supply contract with a large supplier that set a contract price based on faulty assumptions on upward annual price reviews.

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Rethinking Negotiation

• Barry Nalebuff
• Adam Brandenburger

For decades, negotiators have been working out agreements by focusing on interests, not positions. But the messy problem of how to share the gains created by deals has remained unresolved—until now. The answer, argue Yale’s Nalebuff and NYU’s Brandenburger, lies in accurately identifying and sizing the negotiation “pie,” which they define as the additional value produced by an agreement to work together. It’s the value over and above the sum of the two sides’ best alternatives to a negotiated agreement, or BATNAs.

The pie most people have in their heads, however, is the total value available to be split. Because of this, they argue over the wrong numbers and issues, taking positions that they think are reasonable but that are in fact self-interested.

Once the pie is properly understood, the allocation rule is simple: The parties in a negotiation have an equal claim on the pie, so it should be divided evenly. This is true regardless of what they can accomplish on their own, because both are equally needed to create the gains. This principle can be applied in a variety of increasingly complicated real-world scenarios, which the authors walk readers through in this article.

A smarter way to split the pie

Idea in Brief

The problem.

People don’t understand what’s really at stake in a negotiation. Their misconceptions make it much harder to reach an agreement.

Why It Happens

Negotiators focus on the total amount to be divided, not on the value created by an agreement. That leads to conflicting views on power and fairness.

The Solution

Recognize that the gains to be shared are the additional value the agreement creates over and above the sum of the two sides’ best alternatives. This negotiation pie should be divided equally, because both sides are equally essential to creating it.

Negotiation is stressful. A great deal is at stake: money, opportunity, time, relationships, reputations. Often that brings out the worst in people as they attempt to take advantage of the other side or try to look tough. So wouldn’t we all be better off if there was a way to treat people fairly in a negotiation and get treated fairly in return? In the following pages we’ll offer a simple, practical, field-tested approach that enables you to do just that.

• Barry Nalebuff is the Milton Steinbach Professor at Yale School of Management and a cofounder of Honest Tea.
• Adam Brandenburger is the J.P. Valles Professor at the Stern School of Business at New York University, distinguished professor at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and faculty director of the Program on Creativity and Innovation at NYU Shanghai.

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Business Negotiation Examples

Negotiation examples.

At TableForce, we know how important it is to lead by example. That’s why we’re sharing a few of our best business negotiation examples to help you gain a negotiation advantage. Unlike our friends at HBR , ours are open source.

Whether you are looking to enhance your personal negotiation skills or seeking to transform your organizational culture through improved business-to-business negotiations, our negotiation case studies showcase practical negotiating techniques and tactics that lead to real-world success

Enterprise Sales

Cost reduction, luxury real estate, leading by example: negotiation case studies.

TableForce understands firsthand that the key to successful real-life negotiations lies at the intersection of experience and education.

The TableForce partners have built our reputation on a combined seven decades of success at the negotiation table, working with organizations across continents, cultures, industries and communication platforms.

We have turned our experiences and knowledge into best-in-class negotiation workshops, seminars, video courses and training materials. Time and again, our clients have indicated that this unique background lends expertise, insight and credibility to our negotiation training. And the real-life examples we provide serve as one of the most powerful tools for learning.

Our client in the software as a service (SaaS) industry was bidding on a large enterprise rollout for a new customer. After two months spent scoping the project and hammering out details, a “handshake” agreement was reached with the customer’s executive vice president (EVP).

Soon thereafter, though, the EVP contacted the client and said “I spoke with our CFO. They said we don’t have the budget, and you’ll need to do better.”

Our client had already put together an aggressive offer to win the large deal. They wanted to maintain their great relationship with the EVP without reducing their margin–so they reached out to the TableForce partners.

Using The Buying Game ™ –unique intellectual property developed by TableForce to familiarize professionals with the processes and tactics most commonly used by purchasers–our negotiators were able to ask the right questions and better understand the buyer’s position.

Learn how planning better, communicating clearly, considering cost vs. value and re-scoping the project allowed our client to reduce their quote while protecting their margin, maintain their good relationship and reach a win-win outcome for both parties in this great business negotiation example.

Amalgamated, Inc. had recently centralized its procurement department. Part of that process included evaluating services, service levels and associated pricing across all the Amalgamated business units.

It was discovered that one business unit was paying a significantly higher monthly retainer to a supplier–in this case, their marketing agency of record. Amalgamated’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) instructed a purchasing agent from the procurement team to “get the business unit’s costs in line with their peers.”

Luckily, this purchasing agent had been trained by the professional negotiators at TableForce. Learn how understanding relationships , remaining curious , staying flexible , planning better , trying harder and trading low-value for high-value concessions allowed the purchasing agent to make it through three rounds of external and internal negotiations.

The result? A rare win-win-win-win for Amalgamated, Inc., the business unit, the purchasing agent and the marketing agency–and a perfect example of how the business negotiation skills taught in TableForce training can be applied directly in the real world.

Our client had found their ideal luxury property. Even better, their fair market offer of $4.68 million had been accepted, though it was slightly below the asking price.

A week later, however, the seller’s agent contacted our client and informed them there was a mistake–in fact, the property would be sold to another buyer. The client immediately engaged an attorney specializing in real estate, as well as our TableForce partners. Research showed that our client’s offer had been accepted first, but that the other buyer offered well above the asking price–in cash.

The seller’s attorney was combative. The buyer’s attorney suggested that the best course was a lien against the property and a drawn-out court battle. Using our proven negotiation model and knowing that expectations impact outcome , TableForce suggested our client could do better.

Learn how planning better , understanding terms and conditions and trading concessions resulted in our client getting their dream home for their original offer of $4.68 million in this real-life negotiation example.

Want more real-life negotiation examples?

Working with tableforce.

As the best negotiators in the business, TableForce offers an unmatched depth and breadth of experience. With more than a century of combined, hands-on contract negotiation under our belts, TableForce has personally negotiated hundreds of millions of dollars in value on behalf of our client companies. Curious how we can make an impact for you?

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Home » Resources » Case Studies » Win-Win Negotiation Case Study

Win-Win Negotiation Case Study

This case study discusses some of the critical errors that can be made in a Management and Union Labour negotiation, where Management were trying to achieve a win-win negotiation.

In trying to create win-win negotiation agreements, one of the biggest mistakes made by negotiators who haven’t taken negotiation training seminars is to deal with the issues on an issue-by-issue basis. This often results in a breakdown in negotiations. Why? Invariably, conflicting monetary issues arise that result in a showdown between the two sides. Negotiating on an issue-by-issue agenda does not present the opportunity to make concessionary trade-offs between the different issues. 

This case study typifies the kinds of mistakes it’s easy to make without the right training when aiming for a win-win .

Unexpected Strike

In January 1993, management and labor of Bayou Steel in Laplace, Louisiana, sat down to negotiate a new contract. In this case, neither side dreamed that these talks would lead to a strike. So, each side believed that they had built a solid relationship. In effect, management went into the negotiations believing that if they used a win-win negotiation concept, they would enhance the relationship between the shop floor and management. Even Ron Farraro, president of United Steel Workers of America, didn’t conceive of the possibility that talks would collapse into a strike, and that a negotiated contract would be reached with little or no difficulty.

Management of Bayou Steel enlisted the help of two facilitators from the FMCS (Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services). They were to guide management through a win-win style negotiation with its workers. The president of Bayou said that the facilitators helped them identify and study each side’s objectives and concerns, and led him to believe that they had, in effect, resolved 90% of the contract issues.

The facilitators set up an issue-by-issue agenda. They left the economic issues as the final issues for the sides to discuss. These included:

• Vacation time

Management believed that they had correctly addressed the employees’ concerns about these pay issues.

What Went Wrong?

However, union members became suspicious about the management’s good intentions to take a win-win approach. They began to believe collectively that the management’s negotiation approach was a disguised ploy meant to undermine their position. This was especially so in the case of the economic issues.

At first, negotiations went relatively well and as predicted. Yet, as the economic issues were placed on the table for discussion, the situation quickly turned upside down into a hard-nosed bargaining negotiation. Management attempted to stay the course with a win-win approach, but this no longer washed with the union. Can you guess what happened? That’s right – union members walked and went out on strike.

By using an agenda to address the format of the contract negotiations, Bayou Steel failed to consider that any single issue could be so divisive. As the economic issues rose to the foreground of the talks, Bayou Steel no longer had leeway in considering trade-offs. They painted themselves into a corner because of their structure of agenda items.

Planning an Effective Agenda

We need to be able to study, compare and contrast all the issues collectively, and by order of relative importance. Package or multiple offers give a greater latitude in finding creative solutions. This is because it gives us more to work with, as opposed to dealing with, issues on a one-on-one basis through a pre-designed case agenda. Planning and using a concession strategy effectively can give one side a big power advantage over the other. So, be careful to plan your agenda wisely.

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Mastering the art of contract negotiation: best practices for procurement professionals, introduction to contract negotiation.

Procurement professionals are the backbone of any organization, responsible for sourcing goods and services to keep the wheels turning. However, their success largely depends on their ability to negotiate contracts that benefit both parties involved . Negotiating a contract can be a daunting task, but mastering this art is essential for procurement professionals looking to take their careers to the next level. In this blog post, we will explore best practices in contract negotiation and delve into case studies showcasing successful negotiations between two companies . Whether you’re an experienced negotiator or just starting out, read on to discover how you can become a master of contract negotiation!

The Different Types of Contracts

Contracts are an essential part of procurement that outlines the agreement between two parties. There are various types of contracts in procurement, and each has its own set of terms and conditions.

Firstly, there are Fixed-Price Contracts where the price is fixed at the time of signing, regardless of any changes or delays that may occur during execution. This type is beneficial for buyers as they know their exact budget from the start.

Secondly, Cost-Reimbursable Contracts involve reimbursement to a seller for all costs incurred during contract performance plus a fee representing profit. These contracts provide flexibility to buyers as they can make changes even after signing the contract.

Thirdly, Time and Material Contracts combine features from both fixed-price and cost-reimbursement contracts by billing based on hourly rates instead of predetermined pricing structures.

There are Incentive-Based Contracts which offer rewards to sellers if certain criteria or objectives are met within specific timelines.

Therefore, understanding these different types helps procurement professionals select which one best suits their business needs while ensuring fair agreements with suppliers.

The Negotiation Process

The negotiation process is a critical step in any contract agreement . It involves the discussion of terms and conditions between two or more parties, with the aim of reaching an agreement that benefits all involved.

The first step in the negotiation process is to establish clear goals and objectives for both parties. Both sides must understand their needs, interests, priorities, and limitations before beginning discussions.

Once these goals have been set, it’s essential to research thoroughly on what you’re negotiating for and who your negotiating partners are. Understanding your partner’s position can help you anticipate their demands as well as how they might respond during negotiations.

Another crucial aspect of successful negotiation is communication skills. Effective negotiators know how to listen actively while expressing themselves clearly without being confrontational or aggressive.

During the actual negotiation process itself, it’s important to remain flexible while still advocating for one’s interests. For instance, if a particular issue seems insurmountable at first glance but offers opportunities for compromise later on down the line – be sure not to dismiss it prematurely!

After reaching an agreement that satisfies all concerned parties’ interests (or deciding that no deal will work), each side should review all aspects carefully before signing off on anything!

Best Practices for Contract Negotiation

Best practices for contract negotiation are essential for procurement professionals. Negotiating a contract is a complex process that requires skill, preparation and patience. To achieve the best possible outcome, there are some key practices that should be followed.

Firstly, it’s important to understand the requirements of both parties before entering into negotiations . This means doing your research beforehand and knowing what you need from the other party in order to reach an agreement .

Secondly, setting clear objectives and priorities is crucial. You should have a good understanding of what you want to achieve from the negotiation and prioritize these goals accordingly.

Thirdly, communication is key during negotiations. It’s important to listen carefully to the other party’s needs and concerns while effectively communicating your own position.

Fourthly, being flexible in your approach can help you find common ground with the other party. While it’s important to stick to your objectives, being willing to compromise on little things can go a long way towards reaching an agreement .

Having a solid understanding of legal terms and conditions can prevent misunderstandings or disputes down the line. These best practices can help procurement professionals master contract negotiation skills that will benefit their organizations over time

Case Studies

Case Studies are a vital tool to learn from real-world examples, which showcase the application of best practices. They help procurement professionals to understand the nuances of contract negotiation and devise strategies for managing complex situations.

One such case study is that of Apple Inc.’s procurement strategy. When it comes to supply chain management , Apple has set an exemplary standard by negotiating long-term contracts with suppliers, thus ensuring stability in pricing and quality control. The company also keeps track of supplier performance metrics and regularly incentivizes them for meeting their targets.

Another case study worth noting is that of Amazon’s extensive use of data analytics during contract negotiations. By leveraging its vast data resources, Amazon can accurately predict demand patterns and negotiate better terms with vendors.

Case Studies provide valuable insights into different approaches towards Contract Negotiation adopted by successful companies . Procurement Professionals must analyze these studies critically to develop effective strategies suited for their own organizations.

Mastering the art of contract negotiation is an essential skill for procurement professionals. It requires understanding the different types of contracts, being familiar with the negotiation process and best practices, and continuously improving through case studies and experience.

As a procurement professional, you have to ensure that your organization gets value for money while maintaining good relationships with suppliers . Contract negotiation plays a significant role in achieving these goals .

By implementing the best practices discussed in this article, you can improve your chances of successful contract negotiations and achieve better outcomes for your organization. Remember always to be prepared, prioritize collaboration over competition, communicate effectively and build strong relationships .

The strategies outlined above are not exhaustive but provide an excellent starting point towards becoming a proficient negotiator . With continuous learning and practice through real-life situations like case studies or on-the-job training programs that promote effective communication skills development such as active listening techniques among others – there’s no limit to what you can achieve! So go out there today ready to negotiate those contracts like a pro!

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Top 10 world changing negotiations for 2023.

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1856- Paris, France: General view of the delegates to the Congress of Paris seated at a table during ... [+] peace discussions. The Congress of Paris was held in 1856 involving the British, French, Ottoman Empire, Russia, Austria, Prussia and Sardina to negotiate an end to the Crimean War.

The late Roger Fisher, founder of Harvard’s Project on Negotiation and one of the world’s most eminent negotiation scholars, had a mantra: One must always try to negotiate. Categorically. With a war lingering on Europe’s Eastern borders, one could suppose that the art of negotiation is taking center stage these days, with politicians and journalists passionately debating diplomatic solutions. Yet, diplomatic dispute resolution, an art honed after the horrors of World War II leading to the most peaceful years in known history , has been replaced by warmongering rhetoric from the dark old days. Those who call for negotiations have little impact on the ongoing debate and have been labeled as weaklings and cowards, including the Presidents of the USA and France.

This development is a dangerous misunderstanding of what negotiations are. To negotiate doesn’t mean that one must make generous concessions or give up one’s core principles (unless the principle is not to negotiate with some), it doesn't even mean that you must make a deal. It simply means that to not thoroughly explore options is a waste of opportunities.

It’s not easy to sit down with someone you fundamentally disagree with. You have to be able to entertain thoughts you find silly, irrational, and even horrible. Can you handle such thoughts without being offended and without resisting the urge to leave the table? A culture of offense opposes a culture of negotiations. A prudent negotiator, however, is one who is not only open to different viewpoints but one who actively explores them. “What if…” was Roger Fisher’s favorite introduction to a question, followed by uninhibited brainstorming of every option imaginable, including those that appeared outrageous.

We can rarely choose our negotiation counterpart. But we can choose if we want to follow Roger Fisher’s categorical imperative to always negotiate with an open mind. Despite the difficulties, the rewards are worth it: Wealth and peace. With this in mind let’s have a look at the Top 10 negotiations for 2023 and how they shape our world.

Indigenous people of the Nasa ethnic group burn uniforms seized from ELN guerrillas, on July 6, ... [+] 2018, in Corinto, Cauca department, Colombia. - Colombian indigenous people tried two National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas captured Wednesday in rural Caloto, Cauca department, and sentenced them to 37 lashes and eight years of prison. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP) (Photo credit should read LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images)

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10. Hope Endures: The Colombia-ELN Negotiations

"La Violencia", the Colombian armed conflict between the government and paramilitary groups and crime syndicates had turned Colombia into one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Since 1958 , almost 200,000 civilians have lost their lives, and over 5 million were forced from their homes. The conflict and with it violence declined, particularly after the 2016 peace treaty with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and the country’s tourism surged .

Now, negotiations between the Colombian government and yet another key paramilitary organization, the National Liberation Army (ELN), are underway. Those talks stalled in January of 2019 following an ELN car bombing at Colombia’s National Police Academy that killed 23 people.

The discussions are in line with the “Total Peace” promises made by newly-elected Colombian president Gustavo Petro, a former M-19 member. Once a guerrilla organization, M-19 disbanded to focus on political change. Petro’s says he sees the talks as a means of negotiating with rebels, revitalizing dormant peace accords, and uniting the country.

Delegates for the first round met in Caracas, Venezuela, late in 2022. Those exploratory talks produced encouraging results: People displaced by the conflicts will be able to return home, and prisoners will see their living conditions improved. The country’s presidential website describes the effort as “a beacon of hope in a world submerged in situations of war and destructive tension.”

Though the process is barely underway, hope is indeed warranted — as it is in any properly orchestrated negotiation. The parties will meet in Mexico for the next round of talks.

LONDON, ENGLAND: Teams take part in a qualifying match at the 2015 Call of Duty European ... [+] Championships at The Royal Opera House on March 1, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Rob Stothard/Getty Images)

9. Microsoft Versus USA: Will the Blizzard Deal Stand?

The gaming industry is bigger than Hollywood and the music industry combined. Global revenue grew from 8 billion in 2006 to almost 200 billion in 2022. The game franchise Call of Duty alone has made a mind-blowing 31 billion in total.

It is not surprising that Microsoft hammered out a deal to buy Blizzard , the world’s largest gamemaker, for a cash transaction of $95 per share. The $68.7 billion-dollar transaction gives Microsoft ownership of some of the most popular games on the planet, including Call of Duty, Candy Crush, and Warcraft. It may be that the company’s strategy is to offer Blizzard’s lineup on Game Pass, Microsoft’s online gaming platform.

That path is not yet secure, however. The Federal Trade Commission wants to block the acquisition, saying the move “would enable Microsoft to suppress competitors to its Xbox gaming consoles and its rapidly growing subscription content and cloud-gaming business.” Barring a change in strategy by either side, that dispute will move to a federal courtroom.

Microsoft has already announced the company’s willingness to allow access to Blizzard games by competitors like Sony and Nintendo, so it doesn’t appear the two sides are all that far apart. It may be that the Biden administration is leveraging the situation to let others know they are serious about enforcing antitrust regulations.

TOPSHOT - A Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) fighter poses as he walks towards another field ... [+] at Tigray Martyr's Memorial Monument Center in Mekele, the capital of Tigray region, Ethiopia, on June 30, 2021. (Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP) (Photo by YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images)

8. The End of a War: Ethiopia and the Tigray Region Rebels

Negotiations between Ethiopia and the Tigray region successfully ended a two-year conflict that reportedly killed thousands of non-combatants. The agreement will allow the flow of goods to Tigray, where physicians say supplies of even the most basic medical supplies are all but depleted. Humanitarian efforts are underway to restore severed communications and supply lines there.

South Africa hosted the talks amidst a plea to negotiate by the United States for the parties “to immediately cease all hostilities and … to ensure civilians are protected.” Prior to negotiations, Ethiopian troops gained significant victories, and that may have encouraged rebel negotiators to end the fighting. Both sides, however, “made major concessions.” The ceasefire may be difficult to maintain , given the degree of political and territorial disputes that exist between the parties. For now, though, there is peace.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - MAY 28: Representatives of Taliban led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar (C), ... [+] accompanied by Head of Political Office of the Taliban Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanakzai (R) arrive for Afghan talks with Afghan politicians within a conference marking a century of diplomatic relations between Afghanistan and Russia on May 28, 2019 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

7. Negotiating With the Taliban: Missed Opportunities

Negotiating with the Taliban has been on last year’s list and the one before . Why did peace negotiations fail during the 20 years NATO troops were deployed to Afghanistan? Because practically every negotiation mistake in the book was made. An insightful report by the United States Institute of Peace says there was no lack of opportunity for a negotiated end to the violence — but they were “missed, went unrecognized, or deliberately spurned” by all stakeholders: the United States of America, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and the Taliban.

Missed opportunities occurred in 2010 when a surge in military activity created an open door to negotiation that was sorely missed by the allies around the U.S. Talks did take place eight years later, but neither party trusted the other and no real progress was made to advance the process. The silly decision not to invite then Afghan President Ghani to the negotiation table weakened the former government and delegitimized any negotiation efforts.

U.S. President Biden’s withdrawal announcement in 2021 left no leverage for negotiations and empowered the Taliban to pursue control of the nation overnight. The United States then practically embezzled half of the assets of the world’s poorest nation, when in February 2022,it seized 7 billion dollars which Afghanistan’s central bank had deposited in the New York Federal Reserve branch.

With Afghanistan being treated like an outcast on the global stage, the most radical of the Taliban branches, the Haqqani network, is gaining momentum: Women have been banned from universities and executions and amputations are to be re-introduced . In 2001, former President Bush refused to negotiate with the Taliban . This unwise decision has led to around 250 000 lives lost in vain (of which 171 500 were Afghans). Oh yes, and Afghanistan was again home to Al Qaeda’s leader . And we are back to square one, making this saga an excellent example of why actual negotiation skills are essential to obtain a good outcome.

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 14: Climate protesters throw cans of tomato soup at Vincent van Gogh's ... [+] Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London, United Kingdom on October 14, 2022. The gallery said that the work was unharmed aside from some minor damage to the frame. (Photo by Just Stop Oil / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

6. Climate Activists to the Table

Austrian climate protestors have thrown black ‘oil’ on a Gustav Klimt painting in Vienna, British activists glued themselves to streets , and German protesters even attached themselves to Berlin airport’s tarmac . The vandalization of priceless art and even the forced standstill of infrastructure has been shrugged off as the deeds of eager activists that went a bit overboard, with some politicians even supporting them .

Nothing could be further away from the truth. The Economist rightly warns of the development of violent climate-terrorism . Climate activism has turned to a movement which leaves no room for debating or even for any nuances. One German group calls itself “Letzte Generation” (last generation), conjuring up images of a quasi-religious movement. Indeed, non-believers are labeled as heretics (“deniers”), and the only way to avoid Armageddon is to follow their path to redemption.

While the protesters succeeded in gaining attention (they even made it to this Forbes list), it was a Pyrrhic victory. Such actions trigger applause by supporters but they do lead to utter hatred from opposition - even from those previously undecided. This will then lead to a closing of the extremist’s bubble and the development of actual terrorism as outlined by The Economist.

Now is the time to negotiate with the climate activists in order to simply keep them from turning violent. It’s not too late - yet. Siemens made a good start by offering a 23 year old German activist a seat on the board of Siemens Energy board , a spin-off of the German technology giant focusing on energy-efficient technology. She refused. Negotiating with dogmatic counterparts is very tiring and the urge to stop negotiating with them understandable. But we shouldn’t. This could turn ugly.

TOPSHOT - A protester holds a portrait of Mahsa Amini during a demonstration in support of Amini, a ... [+] young Iranian woman who died after being arrested in Tehran by the Islamic Republic's morality police, on Istiklal avenue in Istanbul on September 20, 2022. - Amini, 22, was on a visit with her family to the Iranian capital when she was detained on September 13 by the police unit responsible for enforcing Iran's strict dress code for women, including the wearing of the headscarf in public. She was declared dead on September 16 by state television after having spent three days in a coma. (Photo by Ozan KOSE / AFP) (Photo by OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images)

5. Iran: Leverage for Change Within

Protests in Iran started when Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, died in police custody. She was arrested by morality police in Tehran on 13 September for failing to cover her hair ‘appropriately‘. Police claim that Amini, who had no medical record of a heart disease, died of a sudden heart attack.

Protests started with women in Amini’s hometown of Saqqez pulling off their hijabs at her funeral. This triggered protests all over the country, with chants of ”Death to the dictator,“ referring to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Amini's death stirred several pots, which were all represented by her: The anger of suppressed women, of the Kurdish minority, and of those born into poor, marginalized families. Men, mostly young adults, have joined the movement, which became the biggest protests the revolutionary government has ever faced. A revolution brought the mullahs to power in 1979, when the Shah of Iran was ousted by protesters chanting “Death to the Shah” and made Khomeini their Supreme Leader. And a revolution could bring them down today. The government is well aware of that and reacts with force.

The international community can use its influence as leverage, linking human rights issues to talks about the nuclear deal. But then again, real politics do not follow laws of morality (although they often claim they do). However, if there is one thing the world has learned from dealing with Middle Eastern dictators, it’s the fact that destabilizing countries by creating power vacuums or installing puppet governments doesn’t work. .

TOPSHOT - This picture taken on December 5, 2022 shows activists holding a protest against the new ... [+] criminal code outside the parliament building in Jakarta. - Indonesia's parliament approved on December 6 legislation that would outlaw pre-marital sex while making other sweeping changes to the criminal code — a move critics deemed as a setback to the country's freedoms. (Photo by ADEK BERRY / AFP) (Photo by ADEK BERRY/AFP via Getty Images)

4. Indonesian Law and the Demands of the Zealots

Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous nation and 10th largest economy . With its approximately 231,000 million inhabitants of which 87 % are Muslim , the country has the largest Muslim population in the world. As Indonesia cut its poverty rate by over 50 % in the last 20 years , a modern middle class prospers, particularly in the cities. Religious conservatives and moderates regularly clash and try to find common ground.

Indonesia’s new criminal code may not yet be a beacon of freedom, but negotiations produced laws less rigorous than initially demanded. Same-sex marriages remain, unsurprisingly, prohibited. Sexual relations between two unmarried people will now carry a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment. Other illegal activities include cohabitation by unmarried couples, abortion not due to rape or in medical emergencies, and the promotion of contraceptives to minors.

Other crimes outlined under Indonesian law are insulting the dignity of the president and spreading values that don’t agree with the state’s ideology. To dampen the impact and prevent “finger-pointing,” only the president can report an insult to his dignity and “public consultation” can be a path to disagreeing with the state. Cohabitation may only be reported by the spouse, parent, or child of one of the parties.

According to a Human Rights Watch spokesperson, “Passage of this criminal code is the beginning of an unmitigated disaster for human rights in Indonesia.” Rewriting Indonesia’s criminal code took decades to complete. A previous draft resulted in street protests that caused lawmakers to seek public participation in the procedures.

Will the resistance lead to further negotiations and the resultant changes in Indonesian law? We’ll have to wait and see. For now, though, human rights have at least made some gains in the country.

NAKHCHIVAN, AZERBAIJAN - OCTOBER 09: An armored tank takes part in the joint military drill ... [+] "Unshakable Brotherhood-2021" by Turkey and Azerbaijan in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan on October 09, 2021. (Photo by Azerbaijan Defense Ministry/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

3. In Search of a Mediator: The Conflict Between Armenia and Azerbaijan

War over Nagorno-Karabakh? Over a corridor to Nakhchivan? The struggles between Armenia and Azerbaijan are rarely breaking news in the West. Why care about two former Soviet republics fighting over enclaves and exclaves few have heard of? As is the case so often, a closer look will show that it is a conflict of global significance and a prime example of the need for negotiation and mediation skills.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the Nagorno-Karabakh region has been a bone of contention between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In 2020, Azerbaijan won the Second Karabakh War and it was Russia that mediated the peace and guaranteed security with a peacekeeping mission.

In March, Azerbaijan took advantage of Russia’s weakness and invaded Armenia. The war was an aggression into previously contested regions but deep into Armenian core territory. Armenians fear ethnic cleansing, clips of war crimes committed by Azeris and even torture and mutilations have surfaced.

Azerbaijan appears to seize the change to gain as much territory as possible. The borders between Russia and Europe are practically closed, which increased the importance of the South Caucasus route from Armenia to Turkey and Iran. In the 2020 peace treaty, Armenia explicitly “guarantees the security of transport links” between Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan, a landlocked exclave inhabited by Azeris. Azerbaijan argues that this means that the corridor should not be part of Armenia (nor Azerbaijan) but be extraterritorial, controlled by neutral forces, such as Russian border guards. Armenia argues that this was never agreed on and that it would jeopardize the country’s sovereignty.

Russia is sympathetic to Azerbaijan’s request, as this would directly link Russia with Turkey (through Armenia and Azberbaijan), instead of having to pass through pro-Western Georgia. Unsurprisingly, when Armenia asked Russia for help, it more or less repeated Azerbaijan’s arguments and promised to only send observers. Russia is losing support among Armenians, alienating a former close ally. Azerbaijan’s closest ally, Turkey, is on good terms with Russia, as it refused Western sanctions and even offered to broker a deal between Russia and the West.

The West, on the other hand, does not want Russia to gain control of just about anything, thus taking an interest in the topic. Nancy Pelosi, former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, visited Armenia in September. Unlike in the Russia-Ukraine aggression, the European Union is taking a distinctly neutral stance here, which could have something to do with the fact that it just closed a deal with Azerbaijan to double gas exports by 2027 (no sanctions here). The EU invited both heads of state to peace talks in Prague in October and mediated a first agreement. Russia regards EU involvement as a threat to the peace process. Putin then invited the parties to Sochi. A week later, the United States entered the race and invited both parties to Washington D.C. in November.

While there was no final treaty, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev "agreed not to use force".

Certainly, diplomatic help is needed, as military solutions didn’t end the conflict but only produced unstable peace. Fortunately, both the West and Russia want to avoid an escalation – they should work together to hammer out a deal that sticks.

TOPSHOT - Chinese military helicopters fly past Pingtan island, one of mainland China's closest ... [+] point from Taiwan, in Fujian province on August 4, 2022, ahead of massive military drills off Taiwan following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the self-ruled island. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP) (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images)

2. China and Taiwan: Will the United States Intervene?

Given the situation in Ukraine, where Russian forces are unopposed by any but Ukrainian forces, what are the chances Taiwan would receive armed support should China invade that country?

Some point to the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act wherein it is stated that “any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means” will be an “area of grave concern to the United States.” That document goes on to call for the United States to “provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character” and “resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion.”

For many observers, there are two questions to consider : Would the United States defend Taiwan, and does the United States have the capacity to do so? Presidential statements range from President Clinton’s response, “It would depend on the circumstances,” to President Trump’s adamant - yet still vague - declaration that “China knows what I’m gonna do.” Current U.S. President Biden made it very clear that his country would certainly send forces to aid Taiwan should China attack. Complicating the issue is the “One China” policy, and the U.S. explicitly acknowledging that Taiwan is part of China .

Face-to-face meetings between U.S. president Biden and China’s Xi Jinping last occurred in November 2022. Following that discussion, the United States announced that the “one China policy has not changed” and that it “opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side.” The U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, is slated to visit China early in 2023. Should those talks fail, the planet may find itself close to the onset of a war of gigantic proportions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) arrive to attend ... [+] a meeting on Ukraine with French President and German Chancelor at the Elysee Palace, on December 9, 2019 in Paris. (Photo by Ian LANGSDON / POOL / AFP) (Photo by IAN LANGSDON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

1. Ukraine and Russia: Timing Is Key to Success

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN in March that “without negotiations, we cannot end this war,” adding “if there’s just a 1 percent chance for us to stop this war, I think that we need to take this chance.” Surprisingly, many in the West took a stance against negotiations . Rejecting negotiations could, however, could end the world as we know it. We are at a historical tipping point and negotiation skills can save us.

The terms of a deal were rather clear at the start of the conflict: Ukraine will not join NATO, and the Eastern Ukrainian regions will hold a referendum. Such a deal was possible at the start. But on September 30, Russia annexed Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. This made a deal exceedingly difficult, because Ukraine cannot live with Russia annexing their territory, and Russia would lose face giving it back. This issue will be at the core of a potential deal.

Those who say that Ukraine must win on the battlefield overlook the fact that Russia has been far from using its full military potential, starting the offense with a mere 150,000 troops. This war could go on for years, dragging the entire world into the conflict.

The more the parties invest, the more difficult it will be to end it, as parties hate to give up previous investments. This is not like beating Hitler Germany in World War 2, where a total victory was a goal worth pursuing. Russia has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal . When facing total loss, surrender, and humiliation, why not take the entire world with you?

With Ukraine’s strength on the battlefield, Zelensky’s willingness to negotiate diminished . Putin, on the other hand, asked for negotiations . The moment should be seized: Ukraine is in a good position and should start negotiations as soon as possible. Sitting down trying to find a deal is better than not trying it. Categorically. Remember Roger Fisher’s mantra.

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Team-Building Strategies: Building a Winning Team for Your Organization

Discover how to build a winning team and boost your business negotiation results in this free special report, Team Building Strategies for Your Organization, from Harvard Law School.

10 Great Examples of Negotiation in Business

These examples of negotiation in business share ten great lessons.

By PON Staff — on December 21st, 2023 / Business Negotiations

A number of noteworthy disputes among businesses, organizations, and individuals made headlines over the last few years and demonstrate the importance of negotiation in business. We point out the negotiation angles behind stories first reported by the New York Times , the Wall Street Journal , and other media outlets. Keep an eye out for common themes among these top 10 examples of negotiation in business: hardball negotiation tactics that backfire, costly legal battles that could have been avoided, and disputes over poorly worded contracts.

Claim your FREE copy: Business Negotiation Strategies: How to Negotiate Better Business Deals

Discover step-by-step techniques for avoiding common business negotiation pitfalls when you download a copy of the FREE special report, Business Negotiation Strategies: How to Negotiate Better Business Deals , from the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.

Negotiations in business – a few optimal examples

• Robin Thicke versus the family of Marvin Gaye
• Singer and songwriter Robin Thicke and the two writing partners behind his breakout hit “Blurred Lines” sued the family of the late Marvin Gaye in a preemptive strike and asked for unspecified damages in a dispute over copyright infringement. Gaye’s children promptly filed a countersuit and even sued the publisher who controls Gaye’s songs of trying to intimidate them into dropping the case.
• Starbucks and Kraft Foods
• A three-year dispute between Starbucks and Kraft Foods over the distribution of Starbucks packaged coffee in grocery stores was resolved with arbitration ruling that Starbucks had breached its agreement with Kraft. The coffeemaker was ordered to pay the food giant $2.75 billion.
• Michael Bloomberg versus the New York teachers’ union
• New York City stood to gain about $250 million in aid and $200 million in grants if it reached agreement on a new evaluation system with its teachers’ union, a 4% overall increase in state aid. But as 2012 drew to a close, talks between New York’s United Federation of Teachers (UFT) and New York mayor Michael Bloomberg were deadlocked. On the deadline date, the two sides separately announced that a final, late-night negotiating session had collapsed. Ultimately, New York governor Andrew Cuomo imposed an evaluation system on the city.
• Apple and Samsung
• In an extreme example of the importance of negotiation in business, a California jury ruled in August 2012 that Samsung would have to pay Apple more than $1 billion in damages for patent violations of Apple products, particularly its iPhone. The judge eventually reduced the payout to $600 million. Later, another jury ruled that Samsung would have to pay Apple $290 million of the amount overruled by the judge in the 2012 case.
• Simon & Schuster versus Barnes & Noble
• When months of negotiations with publishing house Simon & Schuster reached a standoff in January 2013, Barnes & Noble attempted to gain leverage by significantly reducing its orders of Simon & Schuster titles and engaging in other hardball negotiation tactics , such as refusing to book the publisher’s authors for in-store readings. Given that Barnes & Noble sells about 20% of consumer books in the United States, Simon & Schuster editors and their associated agents and writers were “apoplectic” about the bookseller’s decision to use them as a bargaining chip.
• An end to the NHL lockout
• A breakthrough in a 113-day lockout of the National Hockey Association came when federal mediator Scot L. Beckenbaugh entered the picture, according to USA Today . When face-to-face negotiations got heated, Beckenbaugh separated the two sides and engaged in shuttle diplomacy, visiting each side in turn to identify issues where they were willing to be flexible. The final deal hinged on the issue of player pensions.
• Fiat’s pursuit of Chrysler
• Acquiring Chrysler had become Fiat’s best hope of staying solvent. Fiat acquired the U.S. and Canadian governments’ stakes in Chrysler, acquired in a 2009 bankruptcy deal, for $640 million in 2011. But when Fiat attempted to begin buying a stake owned by the voluntary employee beneficiary association, or VEBA, the association and Fiat reached drastically different calculations of Chrysler’s value. According to Steven M. Davidoff of the New York Times ’ “DealBook,” the dispute could be chalked up to “a $4.5 billion drafting error.”
• Time Warner versus CBS
• When Time Warner Cable reported a huge quarterly loss of television subscribers, the largest in its history, the bad news was attributed largely to an impasse with television network CBS over fees, which led to Time Warner blacking CBS out of millions of homes during the summer of 2013. The parties’ ultimate agreement was viewed as a victory for CBS, which won a promise of significantly higher fees for its programming in the blacked-out cities, from about $1 per subscriber to $2, as well as the digital rights to sell its content to Web-based distributors such as Netflix.
• Apple’s price-fixing defeat
• In 2007, five major U.S. publishers had negotiated a new business model for e-book pricing with Apple, which was getting ready to launch the iPad. After at least one of the publishers threatened to delay the release of its digital editions to Amazon unless it switched to a more lucrative model, Amazon reluctantly agreed, and e-book prices rose across the industry to about $14.99. The U.S. Department of Justice later accused the parties of colluding to artificially raise e-book prices.
• JPMorgan’s DOJ settlement
• In July 2013, U.S. Associate Attorney General Tony West met with JPMorgan Chase executives to outline an array of civil and criminal investigations of the bank, related primarily to its sales of troubled mortgage investments during the financial crisis. Four hours before a Department of Justice’s (DOJ) scheduled news conference to announce charges against JPMorgan, CEO Jamie Dimon called West and asked to meet in person. The news conference was scuttled. The DOJ’s settlement with JPMorgan, officially announced on November 19, dropped the idea of legal charges but did include the largest settlement payment the DOJ has ever negotiated from a single corporation—$13 billion.

We’d love to hear your examples of negotiation in business. Leave us a comment.

Related Business Negotiations Article:   What is Negotiation in Business? The Star Wars Negotiations and Trust at the Negotiation Table

Originally published in 2014.

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Preparing for negotiation.

Understanding how to arrange the meeting space is a key aspect of preparing for negotiation. In this video, Professor Guhan Subramanian discusses a real world example of how seating arrangements can influence a negotiator’s success. This discussion was held at the 3 day executive education workshop for senior executives at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.

Guhan Subramanian is the Professor of Law and Business at the Harvard Law School and Professor of Business Law at the Harvard Business School.

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The efficiency of humanitarian response following a disaster depends on how fast coordination structures are established, supply chains are enabled, and human and financial resources are mobilised.

Negotiating in disaster contexts becomes challenging because of the many parties involved. Often, survivors are turned into first responders until traditional humanitarian response mechanisms are set up. Then, when humanitarian actors step in, it’s necessary to negotiate and coordinate the response among the multiple actors.

In 2023, the CCHN launched its research on negotiating in the context of disasters. Since then, we have conducted a series of interviews to understand field practices, produced a report and developed a thematic session with the project to expand this topic in the future.

The CCHN first started researching the topic of communities at the centre of negotiations in the framework of the Middle East Think Tank, a year-long project developed in collaboration with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.

A group of CCHN community members shared experiences, reviewed litterature and worked with experts from other sectors to identify the main challenges related to the topic.

The group then led focus group discussions to develop good practices and tools that support frontline workers when negotiations involve communities.

Negotiating and operating in contexts affected by gang violence requires a strategic approach. These contexts tend to be volatile, unpredictable and hard to access. Establishing clear communication lines is hindered because gangs are highly fragmented and command changes often.

Research conducted by the CCHN points towards the importance of staff continuity, the need for long-term psychological support and building trust as best strategies to operate in gang-controlled areas.

We continue to work on this topic and offer practical advice to humanitarians working in these contexts.

To assist affected populations, humanitarian professionals often carry out negotiations with the support of interpreters. Communication changes when interpreters are involved, and if the negotiator or interpreter have little experience doing this, challenges arise, and negotiation outcomes suffer.

The CCHN regularly talks to negotiators and interpreters who work together in humanitarian contexts to understand what obstacles they face and how to remove them. Since 2022, we have developed a report, guidelines and learning modules to help interpreters and negotiators improve their working relationship.

Unlike negotiators in other fields, humanitarian negotiators are often exposed to extremely stressful environments over prolonged periods of time in addition to episodic intense pressure peaks.

Research conducted by the CCHN focuses on the causes and consequences of pressure, and best practices to counter it. We have developed a programme to help humanitarians to prepare, handle and reduce pressure, and offer regular meetings to discuss this topic in our community.

Humanitarian negotiations and humanitarian diplomacy are inherently intertwined, but what differentiates them isn’t always clear. Some see humanitarian negotiations as one of the many instruments of humanitarian diplomacy, whereas others see the latter as efforts made at a “higher” level by heads of agencies, heads of state and diplomats.

The CCHN continues to investigate this link to bring more clarity and identify opportunities of synergy between the two types of negotiations.

Humanitarians working in displacement contexts negotiate with multiple counterparts, including governments, camp authorities, host communities and affected people themselves. Negotiations often take place in a politically charged environment where humanitarians operate in a legal grey zone.

Since 2020, the CCHN collects information on negotiations in displacement contexts to understand the challenges faced by humanitarians. We have developed contextual simulations, case studies and workshops to support humanitarian practitioners working in these contexts.

Negotiations around health care are distinctive. They involve not only armed actors, but patients and their families, and are often highly emotional. Humanitarian practitioners must also navigate complex public health systems while maintaining humanitarian principles.

At the request of humanitarian professionals, the CCHN launched its research on the topic of healthcare and negotiations in 2019. Since then, we have developed negotiation workshops and case studies tailored to health care contexts, as well as a learning module on how to de-escalate a tense situation.

Protection remains one of the most challenging humanitarian outcomes to negotiate. It’s considered a “sensitive, abstract, non-priority, and controversial” topic by most humanitarians. This lack of consensus is what makes protection negotiations particularly difficult.

Together with its community, the CCHN has identified common challenges and best practices when negotiating protection outcomes. Out of this research, we developed a negotiation workshop on protection, simulations and a thematic group.

Private military companies, state militaries, government forces and armed groups are some of the most common counterparts humanitarians negotiate with.

These actors, however diverse, follow their own values, beliefs, honour codes and hierarchies. Understanding what makes them tick is key to building trust and negotiating effectively.

At the CCHN, we conduct research on how to best engage with state- and non-state armed groups and make it available for the wider humanitarian community through webinars, thematic sessions and publications.

Negotiating for safe and durable access often feels unstructured and speculative. Working conditions for humanitarian agencies can be difficult, local authorities may not be open to collaboration, and the compromise humanitarian practitioners achieve may not be appropriate to respond to humanitarian needs. So, how do humanitarians gain safe access?

The CCHN conducts research on humanitarian access negotiations. Our work aims to understand how humanitarians gain trust, establish guarantees and evaluate the impact of compromises. We collect best practices and lessons learned and share them during our workshops and in our publications.

Since 2018, the CCHN has investigated the impact of diversity in humanitarian negotiations.

Humanitarian practitioners at different managerial levels have shared their views in how their identity and their counterpart’s identity influenced negotiations they have conducted.

Experiences vary, but most humanitarians explained that during negotiations they stress specific elements of their identity, skills, and background — playing up those that allow them to establish a rapport more easily with their counterparts, and downplaying those that are perceived to be detrimental.

To continue the conversation around diversity, we regularly organise informal discussions to collect experiences, impressions and insights and bring back our findings to the community.

The CCHN supports humanitarian agencies in expanding their internal negotiation capacity by providing bespoke learning and development support for all staff members.

This activity is for you if...

…you are looking to strengthen staff members’ negotiation skills within your organisation. …you would like your internal negotiation training to be informed by recent research and by the practice of hundreds of humanitarian professionals working around the globe.

What will you learn?

The CCHN can support your internal Learning department in the design of a specific curriculum (either ad-hoc or permanent), based on our methodology and in line with your agency’s current challenges and learning strategy.

The curriculum may take a peer-to-peer online/onsite format, or it may be an individual experience through e-learning materials and self-learning.

We provide the requesting agency with access to the complete CCHN learning methodology. Alternatively, we embed learning sessions based on our methodology in an existing learning programme delivered by the agency.

We also support your agency in responding to specific challenges through tailored learning content with a thematic or regional focus.

Who can sign up?

Any humanitarian agency or learning institution.

What language will we speak?

English, French, Spanish and Arabic.

How to sign up?

Please contact us to obtain more information and a tailored proposal.

We support humanitarian agencies or field teams by advising them on negotiating access and protection based on our analytical tools and policy work.

…you are looking for tailored guidance navigating a complex humanitarian scenario. …you wish to be supported in the application of CCHN’s strategic tools to your local challenges.

The CCHN provides different levels of advisory support. Level 1  –  Bilateral technical support . We provide guidance to community members and partner organisations through the expertise of CCHN staff and specialised consultants. Level 2  –  Specialised research and policy response . The CCHN’s Research and Development team will provide in-depth analysis and guidance, in collaboration with the Operations team and selected members of our community of practice. Level 3  –  Direct advisory support . You will be supported by a CCHN Mobile Advisory Team comprising our internal operational capacity as well as external resources.

Discover state-of-the-art negotiation tools, apply them to your own negotiations, and critically reflect with peers while contributing to the advancement of research.

… you would like to “deep dive” into CCHN negotiation tools learned during Peer Workshops, Advanced Humanitarian Negotiation Workshops or Thematic Sessions. … you are testing and practising these tools in your daily professional life and engaging in critical reflection about the tools and your practice with peers and with potential support of CCHN mentors. …you wish to be among the first to test and validate innovative negotiation tools that have been recently developed by CCHN researchers and community members. …you are available and committed to joining at least three Negotiation Lab sessions.

Negotiation Labs are critical discussions and exchanges among field practitioners around existing or pilot tools and models that have been recently elaborated by CCHN researchers or by community members in the context of Thematic Groups. Labs may be co-facilitated by CCHN mentors and other selected members of the CCHN community with extensive humanitarian experience and excellent knowledge of CCHN tools. You will have the opportunity to test the tools, apply them in your negotiations and provide feedback for further development, while also supporting ongoing research efforts.

You should have previously attended a CCHN Peer Workshop or Executive Programme.

What is the event format?

Negotiation Labs are organised in small groups, based on demand, over three to five sessions. They take place online and include three to five participants.

Will you receive a certificate?

You will not receive a certificate for this activity.

Negotiation Labs are organised on demand.

Join other humanitarian practitioners and mental health experts over the course of a few days and strengthen your capacity to prepare, manage and recover from high-pressure negotiations.

…you are seeking a safe and confidential space to discuss with other humanitarian professionals about the personal challenges and dilemmas of negotiating under pressure or in high-risk contexts. …you wish to explore the latest tools and methods to identify, manage and cope with stress in complex environments. …(for retreats aimed at training facilitators) you are willing to facilitate similar activities in the future and to organise additional ones in your region.

Retreats will provide you with a safe environment to exchange and new techniques to better prepare, manage, and recover from high-pressure situations. You will learn how to build your resilience and support colleagues facing personal, ethical, and professional dilemmas.

Among the topics tackled during retreats are the mental, emotional and physical dimensions of pressure management and self-care as well as the “before”, “during” and “after” of negotiating under pressure.

You should have previously attended a CCHN Peer Workshop or Executive Programme. Retreats are particularly suitable for community members with a strong interest in the CCHN’s mental health and pressure management activities.

Some retreats aim to train new facilitators, providing them with the tools to organise their own workshops. In this case, you should have completed a Training of Facilitators and have a strong interest in the topic of resilience in negotiation under pressure. You should have the commitment and resources to organise at least two sessions / series of sessions / a retreat in your local context within the 12 months following the training.

English, French or Spanish; additional languages may be available for self-organised workshops, depending on the context where the retreat takes place.

Retreats take place in person. They typically last five days (some parallel activities may take place online for the wider community). They feature group discussions and exercises.

Retreats include a maximum of 25 participants. In-person participants should be able to cover flight expenses and visa fees.

Yes. Those who attend the event in its entirety receive a Certificate of Completion.

Visit the special events calendar reserved for CCHN community members and sign up online for the next event.

Learn helpful techniques to become more resilient to pressure during high-stakes negotiations and provide similar support to the members of your team.

…you wish to learn techniques to better prepare, manage, and cope with high-pressure negotiations. …you feel a need to share and exchange confidentially about issues relating to mental health and self-care during negotiation processes. …you would like to become more resilient and prevent the negative impact of pressure in the future. …you are planning to use self-management tools to support your team members through complex negotiations.

The “Prepare for Pressure” programme will help you better understand your behaviour, master your emotions, and learn methods to reduce the impact of pressure during high-stakes negotiations.

The workshop is provided regularly in English, French and Spanish.

The workshops, facilitated by expert pressure management consultants, take place online and are based on the sharing of the participants’ experiences. They include breathing and other body exercises.

The programme is composed of four modules lasting 10 hours in total. Workshops are normally organised every two months. Each event features a maximum of 25 participants.

Create a one-on-one relationship with another humanitarian professional within the CCHN community. Learn from and with a colleague who understands your negotiation context in a safe space for exchange and reflection.

… you are currently negotiating at the frontlines of humanitarian action. … you are looking for ways to strengthen your negotiation skills while discussing your own experience. … you would like to connect with other professionals while stimulating reflection, critical thinking, exchange of ideas, and brainstorming.

Mentors expand their negotiation expertise while developing soft skills like active listening, critical thinking, and providing feedback.

Mentees gain access to a safe, confidential space of reflection and exchange with an experienced peer negotiator.

Both mentors and mentees should have previously attended a CCHN Peer Workshop or Executive Programme. Mentors join the programme upon invitation, depending on the skills and expertise they demonstrate. They attend an onboarding workshop before becoming listed in the CCHN mentors’ database. Mentees can join the programme by submitting an online application. The CCHN team provides them with guidance so they can fully take advantage of the mentoring relationship.

Training and onboarding materials are available in English, French and Spanish; however, the mentoring exchanges can take place in any language shared by the mentor and mentee. The mentors currently available in our database collectively speak more than 80 languages.

Before entering a mentoring relationship, mentors attend an onboarding workshop where they learn about mentoring practices and skills including structuring a mentoring relationship, active listening and providing feedback. They later practice these skills during role-play simulations. Mentees who apply gain access to the CCHN mentoring database, where they can autonomously select and contact the mentor(s) whose profile or expertise best matches their needs. The one-on-one relationship between a mentee and a mentor takes place privately and confidentially according to the participants’ preferences.

The CCHN organises “Mentoring Coffee” events twice per month. All participants are welcome to attend and discuss mentoring practices as a group.

The mentors who attend an onboarding workshop in its entirety receive a Certificate of Completion.

Mentees do not receive a certificate.

Contact us if you are interested in becoming a mentee.

Join an informal, regular gathering of humanitarian professionals to discuss a specific negotiation challenge and produce practical guidance for humanitarian colleagues.

…you’re looking to receive practical guidance from other frontline negotiators on your operational challenges. … you are committed to working with other community members towards developing concrete tools, guidelines, or frameworks that can support humanitarian practitioners. …you wish to discuss with experts and researchers, engage yourself in operational research, create space for discussion, and think outside the box to find creative solutions to shared challenges. … you can commit to attending periodic discussions around the group’s topic.

You should have previously attended a CCHN Peer Workshop or Executive Programme. You should be committed to developing a particular topic related to humanitarian negotiation.

English or any other language depending on the preference of the group.

Thematic group meetings take place online at regular intervals (typically every 4-6 weeks).

Thematic groups are informal exchanges, and you will not receive a certificate for this activity.

Informal but structured group discussions around a specific negotiation angle or context, either online or in person.

…you’re looking for an informal group exchange on a certain challenge relating to humanitarian negotiations. …you wish to rely on the support of a global network to help you plan and carry out future humanitarian negotiations.

Anyone who has previously attended a CCHN Peer Workshop or Executive Programme.

Arabic, English, French, or Spanish depending on the geographical focus of each event.

Peer circles may take place online or in connection with in-person events. Their length varies depending on the theme; online events typically last one to two hours. Each event has an average of 20 participants.

Peer circles are informal exchanges; you will not receive a certificate for this activity.

Test your negotiation skills in a realistic scenario and put your knowledge of the CCHN tools into practice.

…you would like to test your understanding of the negotiation tools and methods learned during previous workshops. …you are looking to strengthen your problem-solving skills through roleplay and better prepare for your next negotiation.

Arabic, English, French, or Spanish.

Simulations can take place either in person or online, with the use of virtual interactive boards. They are usually organised as a complement to a Peer Workshop or another learning activity.

A simulation lasts between two and four hours and features a maximum of 30 participants.

Become a CCHN workshop facilitator and help other humanitarian professionals strengthen their negotiation skills while benefitting from their collective expertise. Take your engagement in the CCHN Community of Practice to the next level and lead Peer Workshops for your team or for the wider humanitarian community, with support from the CCHN.

…you are interested in learning facilitation techniques that are applicable across different domains. …you would like to benefit from the expertise of frontline negotiators sharing their own experience and practice. …you wish to share your learning on humanitarian negotiation with members of your organisation or other professionals across the sector. … you are available to facilitate CCHN Peer Workshops both online and onsite.

You will learn facilitation techniques to guide other humanitarian professionals in applying the negotiation methodology developed by the CCHN.

The topics discussed include active listening, effective communication, storytelling and delivering presentations without making use of PowerPoint.

At the end of the training, you will be able to facilitate CCHN Peer Workshops, including by using case studies and simulation exercises.

Active CCHN facilitators gain access to dedicated learning and sharing opportunities, including the Facilitators Annual Meeting.

You should have previously attended a CCHN Peer Workshop as an engaged participant. You should demonstrate a very good understanding of the CCHN negotiation tools and commitment to share your learning with other professionals.

Trainings of Facilitators are available both online and in person. Online workshops include four sessions lasting two hours each and welcome a maximum of 25 participants; they focus on building facilitation skills for online events.

In-person workshops last four full days and welcome a maximum of 15 participants. They are aimed at building skills to facilitate in-person events.

Once you complete the training, you will be invited to join Peer Workshops as a facilitator.

Yes. Those who attend the workshop in its entirety and consequently facilitate at least one Peer Workshop will receive a Certificate of Completion.

Advanced Humanitarian Negotiation Workshops offer participants an opportunity to consolidate their previous learning while acquiring advanced skills and tools to plan, manage or evaluate humanitarian negotiations. You will dive deeper into the behavioral aspects of negotiation through CCHN tools, putting them into practice in context-specific scenarios.

…you took stock of the negotiation tools and strategies discovered during a Peer Workshop and feel the need of more solid or in-depth grounding. … you are interested in advanced and more complex tools to plan and evaluate your negotiations and critically reflect about your current practice. … you wish to improve your negotiations and communication skills, experimenting and learning from mistakes. …you are a mid- or senior-level humanitarian professional carrying out regular negotiations at the frontlines.

Advanced Humanitarian Negotiation Workshops tackle different topics over four days:

• Day 1: Designing and understanding the mandate of the negotiation.
• Day 2: Understanding your counterpart.
• Day 3: Building trust and crafting an argument.
• Day 4: Designing a negotiation strategy (optional).

A negotiation simulation completes the workshop on the fourth day. The Advanced Humanitarian Negotiation Workshop is based on the sharing of the participants’ negotiation experience and simulations. You will be asked to (confidentially) share your negotiation stories with the group as a basis for joint discussion and exercises.

You should have previously attended a CCHN Peer Workshop or Executive Programme. You should also have several years of experience negotiating in the field.

English, Spanish and French – with the possibility of live interpretation into other languages.

Advanced Humanitarian Negotiation Workshops may take place online or in person. In-person workshops last for three or four full days, welcoming 16-20 participants. Online workshops can be organised on demand.

Applied Negotiation Workshops help humanitarian professionals develop additional skills to plan and carry out negotiations in specific contexts or around particularly challenging operational topics. Participants are introduced to context-tailored methods, tools and case-studies based on the latest CCHN research and on humanitarian practice.

… you’re seeking to consolidate your previous learning from attending a Peer Workshop. …you wish to acquire advanced skills and tools to plan and evaluate humanitarian negotiation and issue a mandate. …you are a mid- or senior-level humanitarian professional carrying out regular negotiations at the frontlines.

Applied Negotiation Workshops tackle different topics over three days:

• Day 1: Humanitarian negotiation as a personal endeavour and institutional process.
• Day 2: Humanitarian negotiation as a professional relationship: managing and leveraging risks.
• Day 3: Building trust and fostering legitimacy and strategic planning in complex environments.

In-person workshops last for three full days. They feature 16- 20 participants.

A successful negotiation does not only rely on the tools and strategies applied; it also depends on how the negotiator interacts with the counterpart. Learn how to develop negotiation skills including communication, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and conflict management.

… you wish to become more aware of how your behaviour and body cues may affect the outcome of a negotiation. …you’d like to discover additional approaches helping to build a relationship of trust with a counterpart.

Each workshop is divided into four sessions, respectively focusing on:

• Self-awareness (social and emotional intelligence, microexpression and emotional triggers, conflict handling styles).
• Leading the team into the negotiation process (decision making, delegation and empowerment, making appropriate decisions).
• Communicating and transaction (local codes, influencing, listening skills, linguistics, creating trust, intercultural communication).
• Roleplay and the behavioural aspects of a negotiation.

Soft skills workshops are usually delivered online over the course of two days; they include roleplay and simulations. They are often organised in connection with another in-person workshop. Each event welcomes an average of 20 participants.

A first step into your CCHN learning pathway and an opportunity to join a global community of humanitarian negotiators. Peer Workshops provide you with knowledge of fundamental negotiation tools which are essential to plan, carry out and evaluate field negotiations. This knowledge will come in handy as you expand your negotiation expertise and prepare for more advanced workshops. Completing a Peer Workshops is a pre-requisite to join the CCHN community of practice and to attend other CCHN learning activities.

…you want to gain a fundamental understanding of negotiation tools and methods, share your negotiation experience and learn from others, connect with frontline negotiators in your region or around a specific topic, and set the foundation to attend more advanced workshops in the future.

• Carrying out a context analysis to understand the environment in which the negotiation takes place.
• Developing a tactical plan and assembling the right negotiation team.
• Critically reflecting on your role in the negotiation and how your counterpart may perceive you.
• Identifying the actors that may influence your counterpart.
• Understanding your counterpart’s position, reasoning and values.
• Defining your own position, your institutional limitations and bottom lines.

You will also discover some basic techniques to de-escalate a high-tension situation. You will then put your new learning into practice during a simulation exercise at the end of the workshop.

You should be a humanitarian professional with a minimum of three years of negotiation experience in a field context. Peer Workshops are open to both national and international staff of humanitarian organisations.

Arabic, English, French, Spanish or Portuguese, depending on the regional focus of each workshop. Learning materials can be translated into additional languages.

Peer Workshops are based on the sharing of the participants’ negotiation experiences. You will be invited to (confidentially) share your own stories with the group as a basis for joint discussion and learning.

Online workshops include six sessions, each lasting two hours (10 hours in total), taking place over the course of either three or five days.

In-person workshops are held over three full days and may feature additional thematic sessions.

The CCHN will accept a maximum of 30 people for in-person workshops and a maximum of 50 people for online workshops.

Visit our public events calendar to discover which of our upcoming workshops is most relevant for you, then submit your application online.

An interactive and confidential safe space for humanitarian decision-makers and senior management to share complex negotiation experiences and better lead negotiation teams as they navigate relationships with difficult counterparts. Completing the Executive Programme allows access into the CCHN community of practice as well as other advanced learning opportunities.

…you are a decision-maker within a humanitarian agency (Country Representative, Country Director, Deputy Director or equivalent level) and act as the mandator in frontline negotiation processes. …you wish to strengthen your leadership in guiding your agency’s negotiation teams. …you wish to build advanced negotiation skills in complex environments while becoming part of a professional network of senior managers.

The Executive Programme makes use of practical exercises, peer exchanges and simulations to encourage learning around the following topics:

• Designing adequate strategies for complex humanitarian negotiations.
• Sorting information and coping with disinformation in complex environments.
• Leading high-stakes negotiations while managing competing agendas.
• Managing and leveraging risks in frontline negotiations.
• Facing difficult counterparts and regaining trust.
• Constructing a positive dialogue on controversial issues.
• Developing a collaborative approach and professional culture in complex environments.

Seasoned humanitarian managers currently covering a Country Director, Deputy Director, or equivalent role.

Executive Programme workshops are usually held in person over the course of three days. However, different formats may be available upon request. Each event welcomes an average of 30 participants.

…you want to take a closer look at a specific topic or challenge you face as part of your negotiation processes and receive practical guidance from other professionals.

Thematic sessions are based on CCHN research and on the sharing of the participants’ negotiation experiences. We select operational themes or contexts and tailor the session around them.

Some of the topics we tackled in previous thematic sessions include: negotiating humanitarian access and corridors in sensitive contexts, negotiating with the help of interpreters, managing mis- and disinformation in humanitarian contexts, negotiating with armed groups, negotiating in the context of protection or healthcare operations.

Arabic, English, French, or Spanish depending on the geographical focus or topic of each session.

Thematic sessions may take place either online or in person. Length varies depending on the theme discussed. Each session has an average of 30 participants.

No, you will not receive a certificate for this activity.

…you want to gain a fundamental understanding of negotiation tools and methods, share your negotiation experience and learn from others, connect with frontline negotiators in your region or around a specific topic, and set the foundation to attend more advanced workshops in the future.

Each event welcomes an average of 30 participants.

Visit our public events calendar to discover which of our upcoming workshops is most relevant for you, then submit your application online. frontline-negotiations.org/events [email protected]