Negotiating When Parties have Diverse, Deeply Held Convictions

Faculty: Julia A. Minson

Conflict can have its benefits. In fact, engaging with individuals who hold different views and perspectives than your own can result in greater understanding of each other’s needs and increase your chances of reaching an agreement. But negotiating disputes that involve deeply held beliefs is different. It’s more complicated, more destructive—with more challenging dynamics and greater potential to severely damage personal and professional relationships.

For example, What if you are required to negotiate with a colleague with whom you have had several disagreements over the past several months? What if you disagree with a friend or colleague over a contentious political issue, but still wish to maintain your friendship? In every relationship, personal or professional, there will always be some disagreement.

To help you address conflict-fueled scenarios, this program shares real-life techniques for negotiating with parties with opposing views and strategies for building a culture of respect and acceptance. Through negotiation simulations, small group exercises, and self-assessments, you will explore your own conflict management strengths and challenges and learn how they can be reshaped for greater effectiveness.

During the program, you will explore answers to pressing questions, including:

• What is the value and the cost of engaging with opposing views in the workplace?
• What are the best strategies for effectively negotiating with individuals who hold views or beliefs that are different from your own?
• What are common misconceptions about disagreement and conflict, and what does the science tell us?
• How does your personality and identity shape the way you engage with opposing views?
• What strategies can you use to disagree more productively—both at work and in your personal life?
• As a leader, how can you create a culture that encourages different points of view and unbiased discussions?

You will emerge from this one-day program with a deeper understanding of the circumstances that lead to conflict—and the best ways to address them through negotiation. By focusing on specific skills and habits that you can leverage in difficult conversations, you will improve your ability to negotiate with individuals and parties who have deep-seated beliefs that are different from your own.