[left_side]
Workshop Overview
As a lawyer becomes more experienced partners expect associates to take control and lead negotiations. This training session gives ideas on how to do this especially in difficult situations.
Leading negotiations does not necessarily mean taking total control all the time, it means influencing the negotiation when it is deemed necessary to do so.
This workshop looks at the advanced skills in leading negotiations, where multiple parties are involved and facilitation skills are required. It looks at the difference in leading a negotiation, and includes a review of the skills required with practical application in live situations.
[/left_side][right_side]
[/right_side]
[dottedline][/dottedline]
[left_side]
Pre workshop activity
- Meeting to discuss the participant’s needs and those of the firm
- Draft workshop outline tailored to your needs
- Agreement of agenda
- Participants complete a short questionnaire and read the ITD Work Style Model in preparation for the workshop.
Duration
- Half a day to a full day, or two half days.
Typical Agenda
- Introduction and objectives
- The benefits of leading a negotiation
- What it means to lead a negotiation
- Challenges in leading negotiations
- Situation / negotiation analysis
- Making sure the basics are covered: SWAT analysis, tradable factors, analytical & strategic views, positions
- Optional strategies for negotiating
- When to lead and when not to
- Agreeing the objective & scope for a negotiation
- Mapping the negotiation
- Influencing & guiding the agenda for negotiations
- Role plays based on case studies and the participants live situations
- Workshop summary & personal actions
Post workshop activity
- Participants leave with individual actions
- Email follow up of personal action plans
- Suggested conversation with their line manager on their actions
- Optional WebEx conference call follow up on these actions
- Optional 121 coaching
- ITD blog with further tips and suggestions
[/left_side][right_side]
Client feedback
- “The workshop was piloted to ensure we got it right.”
- “The lawyers found it to be very useful and practical”
Participant comments
- “Very good, if anything there were too many ideas!.”
- “Very useful for those times when it looks like the negotiation is going to run away from you and go off track.”
Call or email ITD to explore how we can help your people develop their approach to leading negotiations
[/right_side]
[dottedline][/dottedline]
[left_side]
Leading Negotiations – Case Study
Associates and Senior Associates of this major law firm are required to take control of negotiations.
Background
Whilst lawyers develop their knowledge following qualification and they are involved increasingly in client meetings their skills in leading negotiations need to be developed. The lawyers have the capability and legal knowledge to do more in negotiating with clients but they needed to develop their confidence to do so.
Need
The training need was to develop the confidence of Associates and Senior Associates to take control of negotiations when there is a need to do so. This is not taking over client control from the partner, it is contributing to guiding negotiations in client meetings when required.
Activity
We developed a half day training session following conversations with PSLs and Senior Associate lawyers. The session is based on real situations that have and will be experienced by many lawyers at this level depending on the practice area they work in. The typical questions that drive this training were:
- What should I do when a client gets emotional in a meeting?
- How do I take control of a meeting when a client goes off agenda?
- How do I make sure the client makes a decision when one is needed in a meeting?
- How do I influence an agenda at the start of the meeting?
[/left_side][right_side]
Outcomes
The main outcomes of this session were:
- Lawyers gained ideas on how they could deal with specific situations and challenges when in negotiations. These were specific to the practice area and to their needs.
What the participants said
- “Great session, very practical.”
- “I particularly like the work on our challenges in negotiations”
- “Good to have a quick reminder of the basics then to move on to more advanced situations”
[/right_side]