Getting round the table - collaborative approaches to management/staff negotiations

Respect for the different and important roles of management and staff representatives in negotiating at work is at the heart of this practical workshop. In it we explore collaborative approaches to negotiations as an alternative to the adversarial styles both management and staff representatives have tended to adopt. This workshop provides a unique opportunity for people from both 'sides' to come together to analyse the dynamics of conflict and to consider collaborative approaches to dispute resolution.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be better able to:

• Identify the interests of each side in negotiations
• Value the respective roles of staff representatives, management and HR staff
• Make use of collaborative approaches to problem solving
• Encourage the resolution of disputes at an early stage
• Identify their own and others' responses to conflict
• Use a model for exploring needs, interests and fears in conflict
• Help others to handle conflict more effectively
• Avoid the escalation of disputes where appropriate and possible.