With the first semester wrapping up, the time has come to look back. We asked our members to share their impressions on the workshops in the first semester. Here are a couple of thoughts on how they experienced the organization so far.
Firstly, they briefly discussed the different subjects of the Negotiation Track.
“The empathy loop was one of the most interesting things to learn this semester. When I first heard it, I was not really convinced it could help towards a better outcome. After using it a couple of times, I was convinced.”
“For me, the most useful subject was the objectifying offers and acknowledging the interests of the other party. Since then, I have tried to avoid the ‘but’ in negotiations and in life in general.”
However, we also saw some theory about problem-solving, and not only negotiation techniques: “The brainstorm tips were very useful. Especially as in reality, it is not as evident to put everything on hold and employ these correctly.”
Many members also stated the usefulness of the empathy loop: “The empathy loop allows me to be informed about how the other experiences the issue. It also shows that you are interested in their story and issues. I have used this on multiple occasions, such as in meetings with the praesidium or when negotiating a partnership with the university.”
Other members found other useful scenarios for the empathy loop (or negotiation techniques in general). They have applied these techniques when applying for a job, when hanging out with friends and apparently even to close some Monopoly deals on her traditional Christmas boardgame evening!