Certificate in Advanced Negotiation

  • Course overview

Course Overview

A modular programme, structured across 7 days over a period of months, which explores best practice and principles of negotiation through expert teaching and reflective learning.

The CEDR Certificate in Advanced Negotiation offers experienced negotiators the opportunity to improve their own skills by exploring, developing and reflecting on the principles and practise of negotiation. These have been developed from CEDR's practical experience of working with over 15,000 complex 'deadlocked' negotiations. Different to the CEDR Mediator Skills Training programme, this course focuses on maximising skills and strategy in negotiation - by embedding learning through practice to ensure you achieve the maximum result from any business negotiation.

Led by CEDR's Chief Executive, Dr Karl Mackie, the Certificate programme enables delegates to develop insight into critical areas of negotiation practice and theory with a select group of executives and professionals, working alongside an expert faculty of negotiation and conflict management professionals (additional expertise is provided by a range of guest speakers).This is the only course on the market which offers the opportunity for reflective learning, support and coaching, from the training faculty, throughout. The aim of this approach is to thoroughly embed learning so delegates can apply learning within their own business setting and then reflect and discuss the impact with leading negotiation experts and other senior business professionals.

The programme covers the following major components:

· principles and phases of negotiation

· negotiation positions

· negotiating pragmatically

· the psychology of influence and persuasion

· dealing with deadlock

· multi-party negotiations

· complex negotiations

· inter-organisational negotiations

Managing emotion in negotiation

· cross-culture (organisation and culture)

· electronic negotiations


Training focuses on providing support so as to encourage you to apply and adopt these new and enhanced skills within your own business context. Ultimately benefitting you, your organisation and your clients. We believe that this his programme is essential for any negotiator who wants to “raise their game”.

Course Structure

The modular programme is structured across 7 residential days over several months. This structure allows time for reflection and skills practice between modules. It also affords participants time for greater reflection and re-examination of real world negotiations outside the programme, to ensure delegates reach a professional standard which is embedded through practical application and experience. A unique feature of the course is that every module includes a special ‘negotiation clinic' at which participants are encouraged to bring problems and experience from their own practise to receiving coaching and feedback

Module One: Essential skills for the negotiator's toolkit

Module one is designed to build a core knowledge base, and let you explore, practise and receive feedback on a wide range of approaches, skills and strategies that together represent the essential toolkit for the effective negotiator.

Key components:

The three Ps - Positional, Principled and Pragmatic negotiation

  • Approaches to negotiation
  • Phases of negotiation
  • Dealing with deadlock
  • Integrating negotiation skills

Module Two: Dealing with the human factor

Module two deals with the human factors that affect the negotiation process, including individual communication styles, personality types, approaches to conflict, emotions and persuasion. The module explores how to work with the emotional and cognitive landscape of negotiation.

Key components:

  • Negotiation style and strategy
  • Dealing with emotion
  • Reciprocity and influence
  • Neurobiology of decision making
  • Using creativity to enhance negotiation
Module Three: The bigger picture - adding layers of complexity

Module three positions negotiation in the wider landscape, recognising that effective negotiation is not just about what happens across the negotiating table but also about longer-term relationships in a business context, and what happens outside the room both before and after.

Key components:

  • Team, group and multi-party negotiation
  • Building consensus and coalitions
  • Use of facilitators
  • Cultural influence on negotiation
  • Stakeholder or power brokers
  • Crisis & critical decision making
  • Deadlines & concession

Learning style

The course centres on reflective learning. As a reflective learner, you will think about how you'll use your new knowledge and skills in your future activities - the learning is always linked to action, and theory to practice. Donald Schön, author of ‘The reflective practitioner: how professionals think in action', suggests that the capacity to reflect on action so as to engage in a process of continuous learning was one of the defining characteristics of professional practice.

When you do this as part of learning you are also able to understand better how theory can be applied in practice. Taking yourself through a reflective process can help inform what worked or didn't work, what you might need to do differently if you did it again or how you might develop your own behaviour or practice. As part of this learning, you will be encouraged to keep a journal throughout the course to encourage reflection between Modules.

Below is a list of comparable courses available on the market, demonstrating the comprehensive training this course offers, and how it differs from anything else on the market.

Organisation BPP Hemsley Fraser Harvard University CEDR
Programme Negotiation Mastery Negotiation for Senior Executives Certificate in Advanced Negotiation
Pre-course engagement X √ X √
Pre-course reading X X X √
Pre-course assignment X √ X √
Interactive e-learning X X X √
Negotiation strategy √ √ √ √
Negotiation structure √ √ √ √
Dealing with deadlock √ √ √ √
Negotiation/conflict Style X X √ √
Communication essentials √ √ √ √
Influence and persuasion X X X √
Dealing with tricks and tactics √ √ √ √
Decision making and risk X X X √
Psychometric tools (MBTI/TKI) X X X √
Emotion and negotiation X X X √
Technology and negotiation X X X √
Agents and third parties X X √ √
Group dynamics (use of a team) X X X √
Culture and negotiation X X X √
Exercises and scenarios √ √ √ √
Complex 1 day role play X X X √
Ongoing coaching and feedback X X X √
Reflective learning X X X √
Post-course assignment X X X √
Residential X X X √
Course duration 2 days 2 days 2 days 7 days

For a confidential discussion about any of our training services contact Danny McFadden, Managing Director of CEDR Asia Pacific dmcfadden@cedr.com.hk Tel +852 28691816, or info@cedr.com.hk
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