Getting to Yes Workshop

Most teams negotiate all the time.

Not in the formal, boardroom sense.

But in the day-to-day stuff.

Who takes what task, how to prioritise, and which direction to go next.

It's constant. Often unspoken.

And that's where problems start.

This workshop is about learning how to negotiate well.

Clearly, respectfully, without damaging the relationships that hold a team together.

That sounds simple but most teams get it wrong.

Not because they don't care, but because they haven't been taught how to do it differently.

What tends to happen is one of two things.

People either avoid the tricky conversations—keep quiet, go along with things—or they push hard to get their way, and others withdraw.

Both approaches break down trust over time.

The real skill is knowing how to speak up without escalating tension.

To make space for disagreement, and still move forward together.

That's what this session teaches.

It's based on the principles from Getting to Yes, which, if you've read it, you'll know is one of the clearest guides to negotiation out there.

I've seen teams take these ideas and change the way they work—less frustration, better decisions, and more trust.

That's not an overstatement. It just makes sense once you've done the work.

And I'll be honest—this kind of work isn't flashy. It's not exciting. But it's practical. Quietly transformative, in some cases.

What Participants Will Walk Away With

• A simple framework for negotiating in everyday team situations.
• Tools to handle disagreement without harming trust or morale.
• More confidence to express their needs clearly and constructively.
• A shared team language for resolving issues and making decisions.
• Practical ways to apply negotiation skills to real conversations at work.

It's a short session. But it has a long tail.

Teams keep using the ideas well after the workshop ends.

Not perfectly, of course. But enough to shift how they work together.

And sometimes, that's all it takes.

Let's get into it…

Getting to Agreement — Smarter Negotiation for Stronger Teams

Duration: 2 hours

Purpose: To help team members learn how to negotiate effectively so they can express what they need, listen to others, and reach better outcomes without damaging relationships.

The session introduces a simple, practical approach that helps teams handle disagreements, make decisions together, and solve problems while maintaining trust and respect.

Workshop Objectives

1. Understand the five core principles of effective, relationship-friendly negotiation.
2. Recognise the difference between positions and interests in team conversations.
3. Practise using negotiation skills to handle disagreements constructively.
4. Reflect on their own negotiation style and identify ways to improve.
5. Agree on simple team habits to support better negotiation and decision-making.

Materials Needed

• Flipchart or whiteboard
• Markers
• Post-it notes
• Timer
• Handout with the 5 key insights from Getting to Yes

Workshop Plan

Welcome and Setup (10 min)

• Welcome the group.
• Explain the goal: "Today is about learning how to negotiate and solve problems without harming relationships."
• Share why this matters for teams: better collaboration, less tension, more effective decisions.
• Briefly introduce Getting to Yes and its influence on this session.

Key Insights Overview (15 min)

• Walk the group through these 5 principles (briefly, clearly):
  1. Focus on interests, not positions
  2. Separate people from the problem
  3. Invent options for mutual gain
  4. Use objective criteria
  5. Know your BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement)
• Use a simple team-related example to explain each.
• Ask:
  • "Which of these do we already use?"
  • "Which one do we tend to forget or skip?"

Conflict Case Practice – small groups (25 min)

In small groups (2–4 people):

• Choose a real (non-sensitive) disagreement or decision the team has faced.
• Work through it using the 5 principles:
  • What were the positions?
  • What were the interests?
  • What objective criteria could have helped?
  • What mutual gains could have been explored?
• Each group shares a 2-minute summary of what they learned.

Personal Reflection – your BATNA (10 min)

Ask each person to reflect silently:

• Think of a recent disagreement or moment of tension.
• What was your BATNA (your fallback)?
• What would a stronger BATNA have looked like?
• Let them jot down notes privately (no sharing required).

Roleplay Skill Practice (25 min)

• In pairs or trios:
  • Choose or assign a fictional or team-relevant conflict scenario.
  • Roleplay both sides of the conversation.
• The goal:
  • Identify interests (not just positions)
  • Stay calm and respectful
  • Explore joint options
• Switch roles if time allows.
• Debrief together:
  • "What helped keep the conversation constructive?"
  • "What felt difficult?"
  • "What would you try in a real negotiation?"

Team Application – Negotiation Ground Rules (20 min)

• Discuss together:
  • "What could we do as a team to make negotiations more respectful and effective?"
  • "What behaviours or habits would help us apply what we've learned?"
• Write down 3–5 team agreements or ground rules.
• Examples:
  • "Always ask about interests before debating positions"
  • "Pause to clarify when tensions rise"
  • "Use fair standards when evaluating options"
• Write these up and share with the team after the session.

Close and Commit (15 min)

• Each person reflects:
  • "What's one thing I'll do differently in my next negotiation or disagreement?"
• Option to share with a partner or the group.
• Wrap up by reinforcing the message:
  • "Good negotiation isn't about winning—it's about solving problems without damaging relationships."
• Thank the group for their openness and contributions.

Facilitation Tips

• Set a calm, curious tone from the start.
• Avoid judging how people currently handle conflict—keep it about learning and experimenting.
• Step in gently if someone dominates or dismisses others.
• Model curiosity and respectful challenge yourself throughout.
• Keep timing tight—stick to the plan so each part gets enough space.

Conclusion

Most teams don't fall apart because of big blowups.

It's the smaller stuff—mismatched expectations, unspoken frustrations, decisions made without real agreement—that slowly wears people down.

Learning how to negotiate well doesn't fix everything.

But it gives people a way to stay in the conversation, even when it gets uncomfortable.

It gives teams a structure they can rely on when things feel stuck.

And it helps people speak with more clarity and less fear.

That's the real value here. Not just better agreements, but a better way of working together.

So this workshop might be worthwhile if your team finds itself going in circles, avoiding the hard stuff, or struggling to move forward when opinions clash.

It won't solve every problem. But it will give you a way to start tackling them, together.

And that's often where real change begins.

See you next week.