Negotiations form part of my day to day role.
My role ranges from managing complex supplier negotiations, implementing large transformational change, through to leading post-merger integrations. I wanted to learn more about the science behind negotiations and understand how I can refine my approach to be more successful. I had the opportunity to attend Oxford Programme on Negotiation which reshaped my approach and thought process on negotiations.
I arrived into Oxford on a mild Sunday afternoon in November ready to kick off the programme at 5pm. On arriving at the school you receive a friendly and warm welcome from all of the programme team. They provide an overview of the timetable for the week and it is evident it’s going to be a busy one. You are assigned a tutor, with tons of real world experience who will be there for you throughout the week as a sounding board and support mechanism. Then we are swiftly off to dinner at the school to get to know your classmates.
The class was a diverse group of people from around the world with different customs, markets, industry sectors and approaches to business. My day to day role is global in nature so this was a perfect setting to enrich the discussions, negotiations and learnings on a global platform.
During the week we had a blended learning approach with the theories behind negotiations covering planning, styles, value creation, decision making to name but a few partnered with case studies, scenarios and role plays.
They were easy on us at the start with one on one based scenarios, although it didn’t feel like that at the time, and it advanced to complex multi-dimensional, multi-party negotiations by the end of the week. You had the opportunity to try different approaches, test out the theory and reflect on it in a safe environment. I personally got a real buzz from these sessions and it really embedded the learnings for me. A truly immersive experience.
Having studied at other management colleges, the Oxford Saïd Business School experience feels special, as you are immersed into the City and its heritage; including a walking tour and dinner later in the week at Exeter College. It was a star studded event, hearing from three amazing speakers; Baroness Cathy Aston stepping through her time as the EU’s first High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, Sue Williams discussing her approach to hostage negotiations and finally, Jonathan Powell only days prior to him being announced as National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer.
On leaving Oxford on Friday afternoon, the flurry of Whatsapp messages started coming through as people are following up on their goodbyes and one Dr. Seuss quotation summed it up for me “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened”. I left the week feeling more confident in my role as a negotiator equipped with the tools, learnings and a global network of new friends.
