BEHIND THE CURTAIN
The first time many of us encounter the idea of negotiation is often through the media. I still remember reading about talks between the management of a state-owned conglomerate and their trade unions: “…both parties reached an agreement signed in front of the TV cameras.”
For years, films have reinforced this impression. The police negotiator in action movies embodies the role of someone who intervenes in high-stakes, life-or-death situations: talking a criminal out of violence, persuading a potential suicide to step back from the edge, or mediating with hijackers holding hostages on an aircraft.
In the real world, the rapid political transformations of the early 1990s brought new forms of negotiation into the public eye. Post-communist countries renegotiated government debts, accession terms for the European Union and NATO, and political parties haggled endlessly over coalition agreements. Ministries invited trade unions and other groups to the table in search of compromise.
From such examples, it is easy to believe negotiation is always about “big topics”, carried out on political or economic stages by people with almost magical persuasive powers.
This is not the case. In reality, we negotiate every day – often without even realizing it. Whether it is about resources, priorities, responsibilities, or personal needs, negotiation is part of our daily lives.
Even popular culture reflects this. Take Shrek, for example: what appears to be a fantasy comedy is also full of negotiation and influencing. Shrek strikes a deal with Lord Farquaad – his swamp in exchange for rescuing Princess Fiona (a clear trade-o ). Donkey persuades Shrek to accept his companionship (influencing). Later, Donkey even manages to bring the Dragon to their side (very personal influencing). Along the way, tactics range from threats (Farquaad), and force (Shrek), to appeals to values (Donkey), and building common ground (Pinocchio, Peter Pan, and the Three Little Pigs). This training program and the accompanying handbook are designed to help you approach negotiation not as a mysterious art reserved for experts, but as a practical skill anyone can learn and improve.
The key prerequisites are:
- becoming aware of negotiation as a skill,
- committing to the learning journey,
- understanding core principles and tools,
- measuring the outcomes, and
- applying feedback to refine the approach.
With practice, negotiation becomes not only more effective but also more natural – and something you can use to create value in both your professional and personal life.