One-Day Expert Program: Negotiating When Parties have Diverse, Deeply Held Convictions | Harvard University

Conflict can have its benefits. In fact, engaging with individuals who hold different views and perspectives than your own can result in greater understanding of each other’s needs and increase your chances of reaching an agreement. But negotiating disputes that involve deeply held beliefs is different. It’s more complicated, more destructive—with more challenging dynamics and greater potential to severely damage personal and professional relationships.

For example, What if you are required to negotiate with a colleague with whom you have had several disagreements over the past several months? What if you disagree with a friend or colleague over a contentious political issue, but still wish to maintain your friendship? In every relationship, personal or professional, there will always be some disagreement.

To help you address conflict-fueled scenarios, this program shares real-life techniques for negotiating with parties with opposing views and strategies for building a culture of respect and acceptance. Through negotiation simulations, small group exercises, and self-assessments, you will explore your own conflict management strengths and challenges and learn how they can be reshaped for greater effectiveness.

You will emerge from this one-day program with a deeper understanding of the circumstances that lead to conflict—and the best ways to address them through negotiation. By focusing on specific skills and habits that you can leverage in difficult conversations, you will improve your ability to negotiate with individuals and parties who have deep-seated beliefs that are different from your own.