As CEO of CORPCOM in Paris, Guillaume Foucault provides consulting services to help his clients manage crisis communications. The challenges he faces require him to negotiate not only on behalf of his clients, but also with his clients. Recognizing that he needed to strengthen his negotiation knowledge and skills, he attended the Strategic Negotiations: Dealmaking for the Long Term program at Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education. He shares some thoughts about his experience.
My consulting company advises our clients about strategic communication, which includes image building, investor relations, public affairs, and crisis communication. Negotiation is a big part of that, so I needed to learn more about this topic in order to serve clients more efficiently. At my previous company, I had participated in a management course taught by an HBS professor, and what I learned there has stayed with me through the years. I kept that experience in mind as I was looking for programs on negotiation, and I made the decision to come to HBS after a colleague's recommendation.
This program opened my mind to different dimensions of negotiation. The professors were excellent, and I was impressed with their teaching methods. Everyone was on a level playing field, and the faculty considered everyone’s opinion equally. Lastly, it was very easy to communicate with other participants—they were open and ready to share their experiences and problems.
The cases themselves were very interesting and relevant, but I think the greatest value came from the faculty, who helped us examine the cases and understand the lessons they offered by guiding the discussions and adding their insights.
Yes. I learned about the value of communication and how I can use it to influence other players. I now have a better understanding of the negotiation process. I will use this knowledge to shape negotiations that serve my clients, as well as my own negotiations with my clients.
Yes, I would definitely recommend it. People come here from all over the world, and they bring a wide range of experience, perspectives, and skills. That creates a very rich learning environment.
