Client:
De La Rue is the world's largest commercial security printer and papermaker, involved in the production of over 150 national currencies and a wide range of security documents. De La Rue is also a leading provider of cash handling equipment and software solutions to banks and retailers worldwide.
Situation:
Organisational development of the IS function at De La Rue had transformed it into a centrally managed group, with global scope and aligned it with the needs of the business. As part of the transformation process, there were significant changes in the way the IS function operated, with many staff taking on new roles and responsibilities.
The new structure and mode of operation required IS staff to work in close cooperation with their peers, business users and suppliers. Improved ability to influence and negotiate with these groups was critical to the success of the new IS function and a training need was identified.
De La Rue recognised the need for a formal training programme and consulted independent sourcing advisor, Quantum Plus, who specifically tailored the Influencing and negotiation Skills training module (module 5) to suit the needs of the customer.
Our services:
Quantum Plus' Jo Downes put together a programme intended to provide Group IS Managers with a solid foundation on which to build and improve their influencing and negotiation skills, both in their dealings with internal resources and third party suppliers. In order to assess the effectiveness of the programme, clear learning objectives were set and individual learning objectives identified by the delegates themselves. Delegates also completed confidential 'commitments to action' which are posted back out to them six weeks after the face-to-face workshop in order to remind them of the behavioural changes they identified as being necessary to improve their effectiveness in influencing and negotiation situations.
Influencing & Negotiation Skills - course overview:
Day one was planned as an introduction to the 'behavioural' side of influencing and negotiation. It consisted of trainer input, small and full group discussions and exercises, and explored the implications of delegates' own preferred behavioural style as identified through the self-assessed influencing instrument contained in the pre-workshop Welcome Pack.
Having built an appropriate base of understanding about interpersonal behaviour and communication techniques, day two focused on the specific skills and elements relevant to a negotiation situation, with delegates having the opportunity to practice those techniques in two one-to-one negotiation exercises. A range of activities in small groups were used to explain and explore the stages of negotiation, with delegates applying the principles to negotiation exercises.
Results:
The summary of the course appraisals show that all delegates felt that both the workshop objectives and their own personal objectives had been met, and at least reasonable or good levels of confidence were felt about their ability to successfully influence and negotiate in the future.