Tip #144: Negotiation Skills Class in Croatia #5

When I returned to Osijek in May, 2001, I came as an honorary member of the faculty to co-teach a Negotiation Skills class with Ljerka. It was to be my last visit.

Negotiation Skills Class Content

We designed the course content to meet the students’stated interests. It was based upon a training needs assessment. Accordingly, it included two days of Getting to Yes techniques. There was also a real-life negotiation homework assignment that walked them through the five steps. In addition, because several of the students were seasoned negotiators, it also included two days of Getting Past No techniques. This had a real-life negotiation homework assignment that walked them through the six steps.

We reviewed the nature of the negotiation situations with which the students were dealing in their homework assignments. As a result, it was clear that the last two sessions of the course needed to be focused on their issues, rather than case studies, as had been previously planned.

Consequently, we redesigned the fifth session to reinforce previously-taught concepts. The intention was to prepare the students to successfully role play a real-life negotiation situation of their choice during Session 6. They were to work in triads. An observer would provide an assessment. Each individual would also assess his or her negotiation skills.

The Project Assignment

The homework assignments and in-session role play and assessments provided ample practice for the students in preparation for their course project.

The project required them to:

  • complete similar negotiation planning worksheets,
  • conduct a real-life negotiation, and then
  • assess their performance.

They submitted their completed project work to Ljerka after the class ended. Then she forwarded them to me by mail.

Ljerka’s Expertise

Ljerka’s expertise, creativity, and perspective were essential to the success of the Negotiation Skills course.

She was actively involved in the:

  • course design,
  • organization,
  • selection of outside resources, and
  • implementation.

During the course, she translated concepts and terminology. In addition, Ljerka also directed, observed, and provided feedback for the small group activities and role playing. She conducted the last session’s role playing activities with three students who were absent. She also collected the student projects, for transmittal to me.

The new training facilities were wonderful. The site in the old city was huge. It had a beautiful sitting room and exquisite view of the river Drava and the old city. The sole drawback was that it was up three very long sets of stairs. There, this was a strong disincentive to any lecturer with heavy materials or audiovisual equipment!

The First Generation of Students

The first generation of students in the Entrepreneurship masters degree program were extraordinary in terms of their:

  • experience,
  • expertise, and
  • commitment to the program.

It was clear that the lack of job and life experience of the second and third generations in the program would necessitate simplification of the current course content for Negotiation Skills.

Revisions for Future Negotiation Skills Class Curriculum

As a result, we recommended that future Negotiation Skills courses focus in on a modified Getting to Yes content. It should provide ample practice using each negotiation strategy in both prepared and real life negotiation exercises. We also recommended that the current Getting to Yes instructional materials be augmented. We would add the staying calm and active listening skills exercises from the Getting Past No content.

All of the content and handout materials necessary for the redesign of the course for future generations were already in Osijek, with Ljerka. Therefore, it would be an easy matter to revise the lesson plan and create new participant materials.

After I left Osijek, I was able to read and grade the students’projects. They were all very effective and complete. It was clear that they understood how to apply negotiation skills in their work lives and had ample opportunity to practice them!

Although there were tentative plans for me to return again to conduct a team building session with the faculty, the occasion never arose.

Gifts From My Croat Experience

I left this Croat training experience with more gifts than I can mention.

The ones that jump to mind include the incredible opportunity to:

  • visit and get to know different people of varying ages, experiences, and backgrounds from throughout Croatia;
  • travel to and through Europe for the very first time;
  • make good friends in Croatia and in Hungary;
  • see the world and the United States from the Croat perspective;
  • enjoy the culture, the food, the architecture, the customs, the open markets, the art, the inland and Adriatic cities and the cosmopolitan capital, Zagreb;
  • watch my son build friendships and happy experiences that spanned language differences;
  • learn from the most stimulating economic marketing and entrepreneurship virtuosos;
  • be welcomed into different homes and family lives; and
  • stand in awe at the warmth, generosity, resilience, creativity, humor, and fortitude of the students, academics, and business people (and their families) I had the pleasure to meet.

And to treasure the gift of Joan’s friendship, business acumen, generosity of spirit, fierce loyalty, and networking that made it all possible.

If you would like to discuss my international travel for work, please book a call at https://laurelandassociates.com/contact/

Related Posts

Get New Blog Posts in Your Inbox Weekly.

Learn at your own pace with these online learning courses

It doesn’t have to be difficult to Deal with Difficult People.

 

How to Manage Change in Your Business for Smooth Transitions

 

Share This Post

Get New Blog Posts in Your Inbox Weekly.