Negotiating Labor/management Agreements for Competitive Advantage

PREPARE FOR YOUR UPCOMING CONTRACT NEGOTIATION

Gain real-world experience before engaging in labor/management negotiations where the stakes are high and mistakes can be costly. The impact of contract negotiations on the bottom line is lasting, and though they only occur every few years, no company or union can afford to send its negotiation team to the table poorly prepared. Highly effective negotiators add value by crafting agreements that facilitate a positive and productive workplace.

This course features a comprehensive and unique framework that identifies the multiple linkages between collective bargaining strategies and broader human resources management, operational and business strategies. This workshop will prepare you to think strategically about how your negotiation strategy aligns with your business and organizational plans.

Combining interest-based and classical approaches to negotiations, you will learn about the essential processes and tactical decisions that underlie the key stages of negotiating agreements.

You will participate in a simulated exercise built on a case exclusively designed for this program. The exercise will encourage you to resolve complex issues and apply your learned negotiating skills as a member of a team, to negotiate a landmark agreement that yields competitive advantage.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

The Four Stages of Negotiations

* Planning, Opening, Bargaining, and Closing

Analysis, Framing, and Formulation of a Strategic Negotiations Process

* Compiling and Assessing Business Information
* Evaluating and Understanding the Dispute Domain
* Aligning Negotiations with Business Strategy
* Getting Agreement on Negotiation Strategy and Processes
* Negotiating in Good Faith Under the Law

Negotiation Steps and Processes

* Structuring Team Make-up and Roles
* Empowering the Chief Spokesperson
* Delivering Opening Statements
* Exchanging Proposals/Demands and Presenting Ideas
* Evaluating and Costing Proposals
* Applying the Negotiation Proposal/Counter-Proposal Process
* Utilizing Interest-Based Problem Solving Methods
* Reaching Tentative Agreements on Non-Economic Issues
* Managing Team Caucuses to Stay on Plan
* Packaging Key Economic Items
* Narrowing Differences through Effective Side-Bar Meetings
* Reaching Closure and Making Final Offers
* Closing, Commitment, and Obtaining Ratification

The Negotiator as Reflective Leader

* Understanding Your Role as Leader and Coach
* Stage Crafting to Sell Your Proposals
* Accelerating Bottom-Line Results