5 things I learned about negotiation (part 1)

Want to learn, find a course of quality and flexibility? Choose a HIIT workout instead of the whole marathon of a master's degree (or MBA). I learned that Coursera provides free online courses from other universities globally, including several courses from the Ivy league schools.

So far I've been blown away by the "Introduction to Negotiation" of Yale university by professor Barry Nalebuff and his amazing guest stars. Currently in the week 6 with 3 more weeks to go and I haven't had this fun learning since the high school. I apologise in advance of all the unscientific generalisations I'm making, please treat this as a quick diary.

Ditch black and white

Here in Finland there is a strong mentality of "how things should be" and "the right way". My theory is that we live in a hostile environment of harsh winter conditions and in order to survive together, the culture is built on clear-cut communication, yes means yes, no means no. Failing the first quiz opened my eyes to the beyond of "I want this and you want that". Let's explore the pie together. 

Allocentric

If you put effort in understanding the needs of the counterpart, you can be creative in coming up with a win-win situation outside the negotiation boundaries. Knowledge is power, if you don't have it, then acquire it. 

Know your math

Equation, multiplication, division, calculation percentages and probability, you'll need your basic math principles. 

Playing dirty

I loved learning the different ways to handle bullying, bluffing, lying and suspicious body signs. 

Good karma

Professor Barry Nalebuff's teachings offer a way where a win-win is possible, humour is recommended and mediation equals to investing in future collaborations. 

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Looking forward to week 6 and finishing the course. If you want to try the course yourself, go and sign up here. Happy to hear comments from other participants!

p.s. the opinions expressed here represent my own with no affiliation with Coursera or the Yale University.