Enhance your negotiation skills through proven techniques and hands-on practice
Strategic Communications and Negotiations is a negotiation skills course designed to help professionals influence outcomes and achieve success. From communication with your co-workers, to reconciling competing interests across departments, to structuring agreements with your customers, this practical two-day program will provide you with frameworks and approaches to arrive at the best outcomes for yourself and your organization. You will develop an awareness of common problems faced in negotiations and optimal approaches to address a broad spectrum of scenarios.
Upcoming Seminar dates
December 10-11, 2025
March 9-10, 2026
Benefits of attending
Gain practical skills to negotiate effectively, develop buy-in, and achieve your desired results. The curriculum will prepare you with skills and confidence to approach negotiations for numerous organizational situations.
- Discover your personal negotiation style and how to draw from other approaches
- Develop a toolkit of strategies applicable to future situations
- Grow your leadership presence by improving your ability to persuade others
In addition to lectures, in-class discussions, and advance readings, participants will engage in simulations to practice the concepts taught in the program. Participants will gain experience and receive feedback through exercises in both single-issue and multiparty negotiation.
Course Overview
Why Most People are Not Good Negotiators
Just like any skill, negotiation requires training and feedback to improve one’s performance. Learn common misconceptions about negotiation and discuss the skills necessary to succeed.
A Focus on Interests
Discover what information is good to share and what information you should not reveal in a negotiation. We will also discuss strategies identified by research that allow negotiators to reveal their negotiation partner’s interests.
Assessing Your Negotiation Personality
Your personal style has profound implications for how you perform in a negotiation. Each participant will assess their own negotiation style and discuss ways to tap into a wide range of approaches.
Preparing for Success
You will learn pivotal concepts that are essential to your negotiation preparations. Learn how to think through your priorities, the other party’s motivations, and what information you need to perform well.
Four Common Pitfalls in Negotiations
People tend to fall victim to common traps when they negotiate. Become familiar with these potential pitfalls and how to avoid them.
Choosing your Approach
Not all negotiations are the same. You will learn to employ appropriate tactics for differing situations. You will also learn specific ways to influence and affect the other party’s behavior.
Multiparty Negotiations
Research has identified common mistakes and process losses made by individuals involved in multiparty negotiations. We will discuss these potential mistakes and process losses and how to prevent them.
Registration and Fees
Registration deadline: November 26, 2025
Register Now
Program fee includes instruction, learning materials, parking on campus, as well as lunch and refreshments each day. Payment is due prior to the course start date and accepted by check, credit card, or purchase order. Early registration is strongly encouraged as space is limited. View discount and cancellation policies.
Faculty
Elizabeth Umphress, Ph.D.
Dr. Umphress is a Professor of Management, the William D. Bradford Endowed Professor, and the Faculty Director of the Consulting and Business Development Center at the University of Washington. She has been teaching negotiation strategies to executives since 2003. In addition to negotiations, Dr. Umphress specializes in teaching executives strategic communications, ethical leadership, and organizational leadership. She has won numerous teaching awards, including teacher of the year for the evening MBA program and being recognized as a Star Teacher every year since she has taught at UW. Dr. Umphress also has extensive consulting experience, and has worked with companies such as NASA, Citigroup, and Lockheed Martin.
Schedule Overview
- Day 1: 8:00 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. (Check-in, sessions, and lunch)
- Day 2: 8:00 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. (Sessions and lunch)
Who should attend
- Individual contributors: Individuals looking to expand their influence and achieve personal, family, community, team, or organizational goals.
- Team contributors and leaders: Those aiming to improve communication within and between teams. Learn planning templates to share information and bridge knowledge gaps.
- Procurement and contracts professionals: Engage in strategic discussions to secure the best products, services, and contracts using research-based tactics to build productive external relationships.
- Leaders and executives: Involved in business development, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, entrepreneurship, dispute resolution, consensus building, procurement, finance, or sales.
- Government and non-profit administrators: Skills apply to both profit and non-profit sectors.
- Business professionals and specialists: Engineers, lawyers, doctors, and consultants looking to enhance client and office relationships.
Seminar logistics
- Location: Bank of America Executive Center (BAEC), UW Main Campus, 4275 NE Stevens Way, Seattle, WA 98195 View map
- Parking: A parking code and instructions will be emailed to participants before the seminar.
- Commuting: Bike, bus, or train commuting options are available.
- Accessibility: The University is committed to access and accommodation. Submit a request as needed.
- Class materials: Participants will receive pre-seminar materials via email.
- CEUs: 1.2 Continuing Education Units available. Request tracking when registering. Learn more.