Influencing & Negotiation Skills for Human Resources

What is Negotiation?

Negotiation is a strategic discussion that resolves an issue in a way that both parties find acceptable. In a Negotiation, each party tries to persuade the other to agree with his or her point of view or try to find creative ways to arrive at a WIN-WIN agreement.

Done expertly Negotiation helps to build better relationships, deliver lasting quality solutions (rather than poor short-term solutions that do not satisfy either party) or helps to avoid future conflicts.

Human Resources in any organization or industry is a people centric function often tasked with managing sensitive matters of employee roles, people promotions, productivity discussions, compensations, performance appraisals, discipline, and alignment to company vision. These vast engagement areas present multiple contexts and complexities to practice influence and Negotiation skills.

Influence and Negotiation is both a talent and skill, it calls for highest degree of technical /product knowledge as well as skilful demonstration of practiced soft skills. Negotiation techniques are multi-layered and adaptable as each Negotiation is unique in its context and stakes. While it takes years to master the art of Negotiation, no matter where you are in the journey, it makes business sense to get a jump in learning with the training experts.

Bodhih’s ‘Influence and Negotiation Skills for HR’ workshop is a sought-after training program preferred by top HR Managers, People Coaches, HR Company Executives and also Master Trainers.

Participants expecting to deepen self-understanding into the science of Negotiation as well as hone their existing Negotiation techniques report large gains from this workshop.

What preparations are needed for principled Negotiations?

In preparation for a Negotiation, participants need to learn as much as possible about the other party’s position, what the strengths and weaknesses of that position are, and how to prepare to defend their positions and counter the arguments the other party will likely make. In any disagreement, individuals understandably aim to achieve the best possible outcome for their position (or perhaps an organization they represent).

However, the principles of fairness, seeking mutual benefit and maintaining a relationship are the keys to a successful outcome. These conceptual elements of principled Negotiation along with the overall Negotiation framework forms the beginning of Bodhih’s Influence and Negotiation Skills for HR program.

Through group activities, facilitator led discussions, videos, and presentations, participants are sensitized to the communication process – its impacts and barriers, and how to gain and maintain control.

The broad structure and phases of a Negotiation (planning, discussions with proposals & concessions, agreement & closure) is discussed. Additionally, the various approaches of Negotiations (advising, describing, prescribing and predicting) are shared and group activities conducted to understand merits of each approach.

All Negotiation processes place strong emphasis on planning.

Through group activities, workbook sharing and case studies, Learners do deep dive in the following areas: consider jobs and roles in the Negotiation process and define objectives in the long and short term. Thereafter research and studies are carried out to understand where does the power lie vis-à-vis – size, current markets, time, information, reputation?

Next, priorities are listed down by the learner groups – common grounds, desirables Vs must haves, opening positions, and listening for ‘what is on the table’, including any concessions and all alternatives.

BATNA (‘Best alternative to negotiated agreement’) and other leverage factors are deliberated and finally established. Participants jot down a list of actions if no agreement is reached.

What is successful Influence & Negotiation attitude? And the associated basic skills?

Bodhih’s facilitators through discussion & presentation, video and workbook activity help participants discover their authenticity from an influence and Negotiation perspective and share practices to build an attitude that is perceived as credible to the opposite party.

The module illustrates and dwells on the deeper aspects of personality ethic, character ethic, and shares an attitude framework for effective influence and Negotiation.

Thereafter guided through an insightful activity, learners examine and reflect on the criticality of listening skills (empathic) and speaking skills (word & tonality) and non-verbal body language with appropriate questioning skills.

Bodhih’s Influence and Negotiation Skills for HR program attempts to bring participants to comprehend what lies at the heart of successful Negotiation namely, softer attributes: listen with heart, acquire probing techniques, leverage tonalities to capture audience attention, and employ gestures and body language to maximum advantage.

How can you gain from India’s best Influence and Negotiation Skills for HR workshops at Bodhih?

Bodhih customizes its Influence and Negotiation Skills for HR training along the ADDIE model. Workshop experiences are analysed, designed, developed and delivered that are solution focused and include a range of blended training pedagogy such as role plays, group exercises, self-assessment tools, management games, individual activities, videos, case studies, facilitation, discussions and more.

In addition to the ADDIE model, the influence and Negotiation tactics sessions takes advantage of the experiential adult-learning process of concrete experience – reflective observation – abstract conceptualization – active experimentation.

The edge in Bodhih’s Influence and Negotiation Skills for HR training comes from researched industry learnings, current best practices and academic insights that ensures Influence and Negotiation Skills for HR are grasped and applied at all levels within a company and its individuals.

Combined with a deep grip on product / technical knowhow, the long term benefits in institutionalising Influence and Negotiation Skills for HR processes is to balance the key strategic considerations (identifying parties, their surface and deeper interests, effective communication styles to propose alternatives, seeking creative solutions for mutual gain etc.) with valued Negotiation soft skills (patience, active listening, rapport for impact, respect that enhances results, maintaining positive energies etc.)

What is Bodhih’s promise for influence and Negotiations skills training?

Bodhih’s Influence and Negotiation Skills for HR training combines advanced skills (assertiveness, feed-forward, persuasion etc.) with tactical communication framework (voice and body coaching, managing stage fear etc.) and tactical presentation framework (handling resistance and tough questions).

Participants learn influence and Negotiation process and its dynamics, understand their personal Negotiation style and build context for future takeaways.

HR managers across industries and functions and HR executive level participants who have attended Bodhih’s sessions on Influence and Negotiation Skills for HR, report enhancement in the following individual and team behaviors: crisper Negotiation-elemental understanding, increased flexibility in building influence in their approaches, adopting new communication styles rich in establishing rapport and assertiveness, reduction in conflicts and breakdowns, and a focus on principled Negotiation strategies by utilizing higher degrees of research & planning and finally a dependence on proven influence Negotiation attributes.