NZALPA has announced this year’s dates for its new interest-based negotiation course.

The three-day course, which replaces the previous bargaining course, will run four times this year – in May, June, August and October, and is open for all NZALPA members to attend.

“We have wanted to improve our negotiations course for a long time, so I’m really excited the new course is finished,” NZALPA General Manager Dawn Handforth says.

The course has been designed by former General Aviation Advocate Katie Rowsell and Adam Nicholson, who attended the Harvard Programme on Negotiation in 2016.

“Interest-based bargaining, which is also called principled negotiation, focuses on mutual gain and value creation,” Handforth says.

“It’s about expanding the pie to benefit all parties rather than fighting over who gets what slice of a fixed pie, which frequently leaves value on the table. Issues are decided on their merits, rather than via a haggling process.

“Because this method separates the people from the problem it makes it possible to have an amicable agreement.”

The new course is designed to be very practical with multiple negotiation simulations.

“This is important as interest-based bargaining is applicable in many scenarios, including CEA (Collective Employment Agreements) and other work place matters,” Handforth adds.

The course will delve into why principled negotiation works and is so successful compared to positional bargaining, and how it can be used against adversarial parties. Participants will be taught how to get the most out of negotiations and create better outcomes.

From 2018 onwards, courses will be on the first week of May, August and November of each year.

Handforth is particularly supportive of principled negotiation – having previously attended the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School herself.

“Based on a number of the personal experiences and situations I have watched my colleagues go through, I recommend that everyone who has the opportunity to attend the new course makes the most of learning how best to reach optimal solutions for all parties during negotiations,” Handforth says. “It’s an invaluable skill to have.”

NZALPA is currently engaged in CEA negotiations using interest-based bargaining with VANZ and Jetstar Regional, and has previously successfully used this method to conclude CEAs with Mount Cook, Air Nelson and Jetstar NZ.

Dates for 2017 courses:

• Course 1: 2, 3 and 4 May
• Course 2: 30, 31 May and 1 June
• Course 3: 1, 2 and 3 August
• Course 4: 17, 18 and 19 October

For more information, see https://www.nzalpa.org.nz/