Negotiations and Influence

Business Acumen

Negotiations and Influence

Whether you’re preparing for a salary negotiation, seeking more support for your projects, wanting to improve your work conditions or simply looking to communicate with more influence, strong negotiation skills will help you achieve better outcomes across all of your daily interactions – from the informal to the complex.

This highly practical, two-day course teaches participants a comprehensive negotiation framework that will help you achieve these outcomes, strengthen your relationships and build personal influence – at work and beyond!

Enrol now

Skills for powerful daily negotiations

In the words of one course graduate:

It’s an excellent course – one of the best PDs I’ve done. I remained really engaged for the whole two days. I had role plays with several different people; having that time to embed the knowledge was really helpful. What I have benefitted from the most is the ‘seven elements’ preparation template. It allows me to think through all of the possibilities before I go into a meeting. I find that I’m able to think on my feet really clearly because I’ve spent the time beforehand considering all of the options and all of the motivations stakeholders might have in meeting with us.

— Chris Mills, Development Manager

2026 dates

Negotiations and Influence will run face-to-face over two days, Tuesday 12 May and Wednesday 13 May.

Location

750 Collins Street, Docklands

Course fee

$2,310

Monash alumni and staff receive a 20% discount.

  • Monash staff: Contact us to receive your discount code.
  • Monash alumni: Visit the Alumni portal to access your exclusive code.

Save on staff training with our Professional Development packs

Ready to plan your team's future? We've got short courses that suit all your needs.

Through our Professional Development packs, you can pre-purchase short course seats at discounted partner rates.

Enquire now to discuss your options

Who should attend

This short course is ideal for anyone from the public or private sector who is looking to gain an advantage during any type of negotiation and add new strategies to your deal-making toolbox.

Digital badging

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be awarded a digital badge to share with your network. Find out more about digital badges.

By joining the Negotiations and Influence short course, you’ll learn how to prepare systematically for negotiations and develop a toolkit of strategies to drive high-value outcomes.

Key takeaways include:

  • an understanding of the benefits of joint problem-solving
  • strategies to ‘expand the pie’ and move beyond mere compromise and positional bargaining
  • strategies to increase personal power without eroding trust.

Over two days, we’ll focus on the following areas:

  • An understanding of one’s default approach to negotiation.
  • Learning how to prepare for negotiations.
  • A framework to manage the negotiation process for high-value outcomes.
  • Developing strategies to deal with difficult moments in negotiations and resistance.
  • Learning how to communicate with presence.
  • Managing relationships and influencing stakeholders.

By the end of the course, you’ll be equipped with the skills to:

  • Prepare for negotiations systematically and comprehensively.
  • Manage the negotiation process more effectively.
  • Generate high-value outcomes.
  • Influence stakeholders and develop relationships.
  • Communicate with influence and have greater impact.

How you'll learn

Over two days, you’ll be engaged by a combination of dynamic education sessions, guided reflection and peer coaching. You’ll also receive three 30-minute coaching sessions with our qualified executive coach to personalise, extend and embed your learning, ensuring you get maximum value from the insights gained. In the month following the course, there will be a virtual program finale to showcase your learning.

Learning journey

Program outline

Day 1

Day 2

INDIVIDUAL

Program induction

Access online content to prepare for the program.

 

GROUP

Face-to-face workshop

Facilitator-led session, which blends the best of theory and practice, held at Monash Business School.

Build a foundation for effective negotiation, focusing on adopting a growth mindset, self-awareness, and managing triggers. Participants will explore their negotiation style through role-plays, learn the Seven Elements of Negotiation framework, prepare in teams, and receive practical conversation tips.

Handle difficult moments in negotiations, such as dealing with positions, threats, and personal issues. It includes discussions on relationship dynamics, effective communication, and a ‘real-play’ exercise on participants' own negotiations with peer feedback.

INDIVIDUAL

Guided reflection

Self-led reflection work to embed the learning and the application of these in your own workplace context.

Aviva Berzon

Associate

Aviva Berzon

Qualifications

  • Master of Leadership and Management, Organisation Dynamics (NIODA)
  • Bachelor of Laws with Hons (Monash University)
  • Bachelor of Arts - Communications (Monash University)
  • Admitted to legal practice (Supreme Court of Victoria)

Accreditation/Instruments

The Leadership Circle (TLC), CCL Assessments - Benchmarks, Executive Dimensions, Prospector, Skillscope, 360 By Design (CPP Asia-Pacific), MBTI Step I and Step II, FIRO Instruments, Accredited Executive Coach, Level 1 and 2 (Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership), Accredited Mediator (LEADR).

Experience

Aviva specialises in the areas of leadership, organisation dynamics, change and influential communication, with a particular interest in supporting change through working at the individual and system level.

Aviva has a passion for developing leaders who can lift performance and shift culture through building inclusive, energised and psychologically safe workplaces. Able to work at the individual and group level, Aviva often blends both approaches to ensure lasting shifts in mindset and behaviour.

Aviva moved from legal practice into consulting, facilitating leadership programs and providing executive coaching to a broad mix of public and private sector clients, including Department of Defence, Victoria Legal Aid, Telstra, CitiPower, NOVA Entertainment, RACV, Adairs, Ngai Tahu New Zealand, BHP, NAB and RHB –the third largest financial services group in Malaysia.

Having worked in consulting and in-house Learning & Development roles, Aviva was most recently the Associate Director of Learning Consulting at Melbourne Business School. Aviva brings real world management and leadership experience, combining subject matter expertise and business nous to deliver practical and relevant solutions, bringing her empathy and insight into what will make a real difference.

Aviva’s engagements usually start with a discovery process to diagnose learning and leadership needs, and Aviva always seeks to partner with her clients to create solutions that respond to their unique context and needs.

Aviva is an engaging facilitator who develops deep relationships and warm connections. She brings energy and passion for working with others, and approaches each engagement in a spirit of collaboration and possibility.