Preparing for Complex Negotiations
As a senior director at Duracell, Krissi Younce leads a cross-functional Costco team across 11 different countries—a unique position in which she essentially operates as a general manager with full P&L responsibility. It's a challenging and rewarding role with an organization that stands behind leaders making their own choices. In order to improve her decision-making and negotiation skills, Younce enrolled in the Strategic Negotiations program at Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education. She describes her experience in the program.
Why did you decide to apply to Strategic Negotiations?
My objective was to look at negotiations in a new way. I wanted to understand the steps I should take when negotiating a long-term agreement with my customers so that I could identify their areas of concern and build a strong foundation with them.
Did you find value in the program's case study method?
It was very valuable to me. While preparing for the cases was a lot of work, by studying them, I was able to consider different perspectives when formulating a strategy and seeing how different negotiations developed in real life.
What key insights did you take away from the program?
The program helped me think about the work that should be done in advance of a negotiation in order to gain support and alignment—to "set the table" before you even arrive. For me, it was beneficial to learn about the checkpoints in a contract in order to identify opportunities for future negotiations. The professors all taught in unique ways, which enabled me to think about negotiating in different ways as well.
What kind of leader would find this program beneficial?
Negotiating is a skill that everyone needs to develop. But many people have a narrow view of negotiating as an "I win, you lose" situation, which is an outdated way of thinking. This program teaches you how to approach negotiations creatively and think about the relationship building that leads to long-term success. If you're someone who has to negotiate year after year, this program is perfect for building your capabilities.
What advantage did you gain from attending this program on campus?
I could not have done this training online. So much of the learning came from interacting with peers. The relationships I built and resources I gained through evening study groups were invaluable. The program also gave us the chance to negotiate with different types of people and try new ideas and strategies, which could only be done in a face-to-face setting.
How would you summarize this program for someone considering it?
The program was fantastic. It gave me the experience I was looking for in terms of my development and professional success and provided me with new ways of thinking and developing my team. The professors and class support were all amazing. It was one of the best learning experiences I have had, and I would go back in a heartbeat.