Stanford Executive Education: Influence and Negotiation Strategies Program

What's the real cost of not negotiating? When do you share and when do you hold back? How can you exert influence when you lack authority? Stanford's Influence and Negotiation Strategies Program addresses these questions and more. It provides a rigorous and comprehensive curriculum that combines research-based discussions with daily, hands-on simulations. It will challenge your assumptions and help you develop powerful influence tactics and negotiation strategies for a range of situations—from recruiting a key player and competing for scarce resources to closing a major deal.

Program tuition includes private accommodations, all meals, and course materials.

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Overview

Think. Re-think. Negotiate. Debrief. From strategies to simulations, we pack a lot of learning and negotiating into one week. In this intensive program led by world-class Graduate School of Business (GSB) faculty, you'll spend most of your time actively negotiating with fellow classmates—all experienced business leaders from around the globe. This isn't just about the theoretical. It's about learning from successes and failures and building practical skills you can take back to your workplace. You’ll learn how to get more of what you want, how to influence without authority, and know when it's wise to walk away.

At Stanford GSB we look beyond cases. We rely on empirically validated research to give us insight into the art and science of negotiation. Then, we use those findings to build effective frameworks for successful negotiations. You’ll examine the social psychology and economics of influence and delve into complex deal negotiations involving cultural differences, coalitions, and ethical challenges.

SAMPLE SCHEDULE

Faculty Director

Other Faculty

Margaret A. Neale

The Adams Distinguished Professor of Management at Stanford Graduate School of Business, is known worldwide for her research into distributed team and learning environments. Her research interests include decision making, distributed collaboration, team-based learning, negotiation, and team performance. She is coauthor of Negotiating Rationally (Free Press, 1992). She is the Director of the Influence and Negotiation Strategies Executive Program, Director of the Managing Teams for Innovation and Success Executive Program and Codirector of the Executive Program for Women Leaders.

Brian S. Lowery

Professor of Organizational Behavior; Graduate School of Business Trust Faculty Fellow for 2014-2015

Gregory B. Northcraft

Professor, School of Labor and Employment Relations and Harry Gray Professor of Executive Leadership, Department of Business Administration, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Larissa Z. Tiedens

Jonathan B. Lovelace Professor of Organizational Behavior; Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; Director of the Executive Program in Leadership: The Effective Use of Power

Video Introduction

Influence and Negotiation Strategies

"Negotiation is not about getting to yes or simply getting an agreement; it's about getting a good agreement." — Margaret Neale, Faculty Director

Get a sneak peek at Professor Neale's unique approach to the essential yet complex world of influence and negotiation.

Key Benefits

The Influence and Negotiation Strategies Program will help you:

Rethink your approach to negotiation—from adversarial to collaborative; from winning to problem solving
Develop powerful, practical strategies to improve your influence and effectiveness in one-to-one, multi-party, and multi-issue negotiations
Gain advanced negotiation and dispute resolution strategies, including skills for when negotiations break down
Develop skills and strategies to advance reciprocal influence for mutual gain
Learn highly effective methods of interpersonal influence and persuasion
Build frameworks that emphasize a rational and ethical approach to negotiation
Gain a global perspective by negotiating with fellow participants who are experienced business leaders from around the world

Program Highlights

THE CHOICE TO NEGOTIATE

Everyone negotiates. Yet many people think of negotiation only as an interaction between a buyer and seller, ignoring the common daily opportunities that exist to improve the status quo for themselves, their teams, and their organizations. This session will help you rethink negotiation as problem solving and identify how you can create and claim value in your interactions—from the everyday to the rare and high-value. You will also explore the value that is left "on the table" and begin to develop a framework for getting (more of) what you want.

RECIPROCAL INFLUENCE BETWEEN MANAGERS AND SUBORDINATES

While analyzing the results of simulated performance reviews, you'll examine the psychological and behavioral factors that determine reciprocal influence processes between managers and their reports.

INFLUENCE WITHOUT AUTHORITY: THE ONE TO THE MANY

Learn the importance of influencing small groups, particularly with little or no authority. Analyze effective influence tactics and develop multiple perspectives on how to gain influence through dynamic interactions with others.

MULTI-PARTY NEGOTIATION

On the final day of the program, you'll put all of your newly acquired negotiation strategies and tactics to the test by taking part in an intense six-party negotiation exercise that pits you against multiple coalitions and hidden agendas.

Other Selected Sessions

Strategic Use of Information
Negotiating for Competitive Advantage
Influencing Others in Organizations
Negotiating in Groups
The Art and Science of Social Influence
Ethics and Negotiation
Managing Through Networks
Managing Emotions in Negotiations

Who Should Attend?

The Influence and Negotiation Strategies Program is essential for today's business leaders who must negotiate on a daily basis. It's specifically designed for:

Executives or senior managers from any industry, any organization, and any functional area
Given the highly interactive nature of this program, we ask that participants conduct at least a portion of their daily business in English

SAMPLE Participant Mix

I highly recommend the INSP program; not only does the course teach about negotiation, it is structured to provide numerous mock negotiations with fellow participants. The lead professor was very knowledgeable and personable. The other participants were from around the world, from Sweden to Africa; I valued their insights and camaraderie. Also, the accommodations were top notch.

– Pat Helgeson

Vice President
Province Group LLC

Excellent program! Students learn a tremendous array of skills for both individual and multi-party negotiations. I learned how to improve my weak areas in deal-making and how to work as a team to achieve my company's goals while maintaining the proper ethics.

– Ramiro Luis Trebolle

Major Advisor-Petroleum
PDVSA Petroleo S.A.

This is an outstanding program that provides excellent negotiation and influence tools. The material and exercises are very well done and the participant mix creates an extremely stimulating environment and provides an excellent networking opportunity.

– Houda Soubra

Senior Engineering Manager
Cisco Systems Inc.

Without question, my biggest takeaway was the multi-cultural make-up of the group. To be exposed to no less than 17 different cultures was worth twice the price of the program!

– David Hoenemeyer

VP Food & Beverage/Retail
Harrah's Las Vegas Hotel & Casino

The participant interaction and case method were terrific. The blending of influence strategies with negotiation was much more valuable than negotiation alone would have been.

– David Rymal

Director, Production Systems
Providence Health Systems

Facilities

Stanford University

The Stanford campus is world renowned for its natural beauty, Spanish mission-style architecture, and temperate climate. With more than 8,180 acres (3,310 hectares), Stanford's campus ranks as one of the largest in the United States. Participants in Stanford's Executive Programs become part of a quintessential university setting, residing together, walking or biking to classes, and enjoying access to Stanford University facilities.

The Knight Management Center

Opened in spring 2011, the Knight Management Center has transformed the Stanford Graduate School of Business into a vibrant and unified indoor-outdoor, living and learning community. Participants will take classes at this new state-of-the-art campus, which features tiered classrooms with extensive floor-to-ceiling glass, the latest in audiovisual technology, numerous breakout and study rooms, outdoor seating areas to encourage informal discussion, and an open collaboration lab that employs hands-on and design thinking techniques.

Schwab Residential Center

Designed by renowned Mexican architect, Ricardo Legorreta, the Schwab Residential Center gives residents ample privacy while promoting collegial interaction through shared lounges, outdoor meeting areas, a library, and an exercise room.

Contact

Laura Moore

Associate Director, Programs and Marketing

Phone: +1.650.723.6641
Email: laura.moore@stanford.edu

The Stanford Difference

The Place: Immerse yourself in innovation.
The Experience: Transform your thinking, your career, your company.
The Approach: Challenge yourself with research-based learning and real-world experience.