The Resolution Centre › LIRA › Negotiation
A continuing-development programme for those in political and public life — developing the skills to negotiate, influence and build trust, so they can make a positive difference and help democracy flourish. Built on principled negotiation, and delivered in partnership with Queen Margaret University Edinburgh.
Effective public leaders are expert negotiators, communicators and critical thinkers, with the resilience and integrity to build trust. This programme doesn't seek to standardise how anyone delivers their mandate — it offers practical tools and techniques for more effective negotiating, influencing, communicating and decision-making, and reinforces the personal qualities and principles of public life that earn confidence with those they serve.
The benefits reach beyond the individual
Most negotiation is positional — trading demands and digging in. Principled negotiation (developed at the Harvard Negotiation Project) works differently: it separates the people from the problem and searches for wise agreements that hold up. Four fundamental ideas anchor it.
Be soft on the people and hard on the problem. Deal with emotions and relationship directly, so they don't distort the substance.
Look beneath what each side says it wants to why — the underlying needs. Shared and compatible interests are where agreement is found.
Before deciding, generate possibilities. Expand the pie rather than haggle over a fixed one, so more interests can be met.
Base the outcome on fair standards and principle — not on who has the most power or is the most stubborn.
Your Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement is your source of real strength — it tells you when to say yes, and when to walk away. We also practise "negotiation judo" — sidestepping attacks rather than pushing back — and reframing, to keep even hard conversations constructive.
A CPD suite drawing on principled negotiation, critical thinking, communication, resilience and the principles of public life. Each session is self-contained and meaningful on its own; the full sequence builds the whole capability.
Real skill grows through reflection, not just attendance. Each participant receives a personal journal to capture insights, plan how they'll apply each idea, and track their growth across the programme — turning workshops into lasting, transferable practice.
Delivered by The Resolution Centre in partnership with Queen Margaret University Edinburgh. Though designed for those in political and public life, its skills are transferable to any leader who must negotiate high-stakes agreements and build trust across competing interests.
Whether for a parliament, a council, a party or a public body, we'll tailor the programme to your people and your context. Let's talk about what would fit.
Enquire about the programmeOr contact us — info@theresolutioncentre.com · +44 (0)1534 730234