The planning and strategizing process behind complex, high-stakes deals and major disputes can be even more important than your performance at the bargaining table. In this business negotiation strategy program, you will learn how to bring together the right players, identify and address key issues, and develop the best process for each deal—all before the negotiations even start.

Summary: The planning and strategizing process behind complex, high-stakes deals and major disputes can be even more important than your performance at the bargaining table. In this business negotiation strategy program, you will learn how to bring together the right players, identify and address key issues, and develop the best process for each deal—all before the negotiations even start.

Key Benefits

The advanced skills you develop in this program will enable you to achieve your goals by proactively preparing for complicated, multifaceted negotiations from a strategic perspective. As you learn how to take control of the strategic and tactical aspects of deals, you will approach each negotiation with greater skill and confidence.

DetailsExpand All Collapse All

Implement a strategic planning process for any negotiation Implement a strategic planning process for any negotiation

Create efficiencies by developing a systematic approach to managing negotiations
Synchronize internal and external negotiations
Address the complexities associated with multiple parties and agendas as well as evolving timeframes
Negotiate effectively across borders and cultures
Foster understanding and promote resolution among parties whose interests and perceptions conflict

Maximize value for the long term Maximize value for the long term

Design deals that create optimal value for all players at the bargaining table
Manage the tension between creating value jointly and claiming value individually
Build and sustain productive, long-term business relationships with all parties involved

Expand your personal and professional network Expand your personal and professional network

Extend your network by living and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds, industries, and countries across the globe
Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business challenges and career decisions

Key Benefits

Details

Implement a strategic planning process for any negotiation

Create efficiencies by developing a systematic approach to managing negotiations
Synchronize internal and external negotiations
Address the complexities associated with multiple parties and agendas as well as evolving timeframes
Negotiate effectively across borders and cultures
Foster understanding and promote resolution among parties whose interests and perceptions conflict

Maximize value for the long term

Design deals that create optimal value for all players at the bargaining table
Manage the tension between creating value jointly and claiming value individually
Build and sustain productive, long-term business relationships with all parties involved

Expand your personal and professional network

Extend your network by living and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds, industries, and countries across the globe
Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business challenges and career decisions

Who Should Attend

Senior executives who face complex and challenging negotiations, such as CEOs, entrepreneurs, board members, general managers, business development executives, and corporate counsels
Ideal for: Business leaders with cross-border negotiating experience who are in the process of realigning corporate strategy, undertaking a sizable deal, settling a major dispute, or juggling multiple constituencies

Participating Companies Have Included:

Airbus

Bank of America

Cisco

Deloitte

EFA Group

FedEx

Finnair

GlaxoSmithKline

Noser Management AG

Novo Nordisk

Verizon

Dive Deeper into the Experience

We Celebrate New Ways of Thinking. Are You Ready?

Thrive in a learning environment that welcomes diverse ideas and perspectives.

Experience the Case Method in the Classroom

Watch participants debate the issues and present their viewpoints.

Discover more about business. And yourself.

Global perspectives > Leadership growth > Organizational impact.

Who Should Attend: Senior executives who face complex and challenging negotiations, such as CEOs, entrepreneurs, board members, general managers, business development executives, and corporate counsels

Ideal for: Business leaders with cross-border negotiating experience who are in the process of realigning corporate strategy, undertaking a sizable deal, settling a major dispute, or juggling multiple constituencies

Participating Companies Have Included:

Airbus

Bank of America

Cisco

Deloitte

EFA Group

FedEx

Finnair

GlaxoSmithKline

Noser Management AG

Novo Nordisk

Verizon

Dive Deeper into the Experience

We Celebrate New Ways of Thinking. Are You Ready?

Thrive in a learning environment that welcomes diverse ideas and perspectives.

Learn More Learn More

Experience the Case Method in the Classroom

Watch participants debate the issues and present their viewpoints.

Learn More Learn More

Discover more about business. And yourself.

Global perspectives > Leadership growth > Organizational impact.

Learn More Learn More

Complementary Program

Advance your Strategic Negotiations learning through a complementary program, Mergers and Acquisitions, which focuses on structuring, executing, and closing the best deals. Together, these programs provide a powerful framework for buying, selling, and managing assets, as well as advanced techniques for negotiating successfully at the M&A bargaining table.

Complementary Program: Advance your Strategic Negotiations learning through a complementary program, Mergers and Acquisitions, which focuses on structuring, executing, and closing the best deals. Together, these programs provide a powerful framework for buying, selling, and managing assets, as well as advanced techniques for negotiating successfully at the M&A bargaining table.

Learning and Living at HBS

When you participate in an Executive Education program on the HBS campus, you enter an immersive experience where every aspect of the learning model has been carefully designed to facilitate your growth. Your learning will take place on your own, in your living group, and in the larger classroom, driven by the renowned HBS case method.

Learning and Living at HBS: When you participate in an Executive Education program on the HBS campus, you enter an immersive experience where every aspect of the learning model has been carefully designed to facilitate your growth. Your learning will take place on your own, in your living group, and in the larger classroom, driven by the renowned HBS case method.

Admissions Criteria and Process

We admit candidates to specific sessions on a rolling, space-available basis, and encourage you to apply as early as possible. Although most programs have no formal educational requirements, admission is a selective process based on your professional achievement and organizational responsibilities.

Admissions Criteria and Process

Answering Your Questions

Our Program Advising team can help you at any stage of the admissions process—starting with identifying the program that best addresses your learning and development goals. Contact a program advisor via email or call 1.800.427.5577 (outside the U.S., call +1.617.495.6555).

Application Submission

We recommend that you apply at least four weeks before the program start date. You may use our online form or download an application. HBS maintains all application information in strict confidentiality. We acknowledge receipt of applications via email. In the unlikely event that you do not receive an acknowledgment, please email us at exed_admissions@hbs.edu or call us at +1.617.495.6226.

Application Review

To optimize the learning experience and maximize the exchange of ideas, our Admissions Committee makes selections that balance each participant's experience, scope of current responsibilities, and type of organization. HBS seeks candidates who reflect a broad range of industries, functions, countries, and backgrounds. We review applications monthly and will contact you via email with the Admissions Committee's decision.

Fee, Payment, and Cancellations

The program fee covers tuition, books, case materials, accommodations, and most meals. No payment is necessary until you have been accepted. Payment is required prior to the program start date. If you need to cancel or defer participation, you must submit your request in writing more than 30 days before the start of the program to receive a full refund. Cancellations or deferrals received 14 to 30 days prior to the start of the program are subject to a fee of one-half of the program fee. Requests received within 14 days are subject to full payment.

What You Will Learn

Immersed in a rich and focused learning experience that includes faculty presentations, group discussions, and case studies, you will explore how the world's best dealmakers plan and navigate complex negotiations. Through an in-depth examination of the three dimensions of negotiating, you will learn how to weave together a series of mutually reinforcing decisions and activities to drive optimal results.

You will also participate in interactive simulations—beginning with simple two-party deals and moving to complex, multi-party, multi-issue negotiations—which bring to life the importance of strategic planning

What You Will Learn

Key AreasExpand All Collapse All

The first dimension: maximizing effectiveness at the table The first dimension: maximizing effectiveness at the table

One-dimensional (1D) negotiators seek interpersonal effectiveness, whether in person, by email, or on the phone. They focus on elements of the immediate negotiating process, such as:

Employing the most appropriate bargaining styles
Creating the right atmosphere and setting communication dynamics
Building trust
Framing issues attractively
Persuading others
Deciphering body language
Bridging cultural differences

The second dimension: engineering the deal The second dimension: engineering the deal

Two-dimensional (2D) negotiators relentlessly look beyond the interpersonal process to the underlying substance of the problem, identifying where potential value exists and how to build agreements that realize this value for both sides. They focus on the principles of deal-crafting—the engineering of value creation among potentially cooperative parties.

The third dimension: designing the process The third dimension: designing the process

Three-dimensional (3D) negotiators know that once the bargaining table has been set, much of the game already has been played. They think hard about the architecture of the deal—how to set up and, if necessary, reset the table. Not only do 3D negotiators skillfully play the game as given, but they also act entrepreneurially on multiple planes to change the game and gain maximum advantage. They focus on issues such as:

Who should be at the table? What is the best means to get them there? In what sequence and on what basis should they be approached?
What set of issues should be discussed? Is it most productive to separate or combine issues?
Which process is best?
How should expectations be set?
What are the no-deal alternatives?
Should there be a series of tables, possibly linked, separated, sequenced, or arranged in parallel?

Key Areas

The first dimension: maximizing effectiveness at the table

One-dimensional (1D) negotiators seek interpersonal effectiveness, whether in person, by email, or on the phone. They focus on elements of the immediate negotiating process, such as:

Employing the most appropriate bargaining styles
Creating the right atmosphere and setting communication dynamics
Building trust
Framing issues attractively
Persuading others
Deciphering body language
Bridging cultural differences

The second dimension: engineering the deal

The third dimension: designing the process

Who should be at the table? What is the best means to get them there? In what sequence and on what basis should they be approached?
What set of issues should be discussed? Is it most productive to separate or combine issues?
Which process is best?
How should expectations be set?
What are the no-deal alternatives?
Should there be a series of tables, possibly linked, separated, sequenced, or arranged in parallel?

The HBS Advantage

Our Executive Education programs are developed and taught by HBS faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe.

Faculty Cochair

James K. Sebenius

Gordon Donaldson Professor of Business Administration. Member of the Negotiation, Organizations & Markets Unit; and faculty cochair of "Strategic Negotiations: Dealmaking for the Long Term."

Read Full Bio

Michael A. Wheeler

Professor of Management Practice, Retired; faculty cochair of "Strategic Negotiations: Dealmaking for the Long Term."

Read Full Bio

Faculty

Francesca Gino

Tandon Family Professor of Business Administration. Unit Head, Negotiation, Organizations & Markets; and faculty cochair of "Behavioral Economics: Understanding and Shaping Customer and Employee Behavior" and "Driving Profitable Growth."

Read Full Bio

Guhan Subramanian

H. Douglas Weaver Professor of Business Law, Harvard Business School, and Joseph Flom Professor of Law and Business, Harvard Law School. Member of the Negotiation, Organizations & Markets Unit; and Faculty Chair of "Mergers and Aquisitions."

Read Full Bio

Deals today are neither just auctions or negotiations—they're most often playing on both fronts.

Watch the Video

The HBS Advantage: Our Executive Education programs are developed and taught by HBS faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe.

Faculty Cochair

James K. Sebenius

Gordon Donaldson Professor of Business Administration. Member of the Negotiation, Organizations & Markets Unit; and faculty cochair of "Strategic Negotiations: Dealmaking for the Long Term."

Read Full Bio

Michael A. Wheeler

Professor of Management Practice, Retired; faculty cochair of "Strategic Negotiations: Dealmaking for the Long Term."

Read Full Bio

Faculty

Francesca Gino

Tandon Family Professor of Business Administration. Unit Head, Negotiation, Organizations & Markets; and faculty cochair of "Behavioral Economics: Understanding and Shaping Customer and Employee Behavior" and "Driving Profitable Growth."

Read Full Bio

Guhan Subramanian

H. Douglas Weaver Professor of Business Law, Harvard Business School, and Joseph Flom Professor of Law and Business, Harvard Law School. Member of the Negotiation, Organizations & Markets Unit; and Faculty Chair of "Mergers and Aquisitions."

Read Full Bio
Deals today are neither just auctions or negotiations—they're most often playing on both fronts.
Watch the VideoWatch the Video