Mastering Bilateral Negotiation Skills in a Cross-Cultural Environment

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In a globalised environment where interactions transcend geographical and sectoral boundaries, collaborating effectively with stakeholders from different cultures, values, organisational systems, and professional or educational backgrounds is a critical challenge. This complexity requires adaptability to both visible (national differences) and invisible (educational backgrounds, professional subcultures, implicit biases) intercultural dynamics that shape communication, decision-making, and collaboration in nuanced ways.

With the support of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), this bilingual programme (English/French, with simultaneous interpretation) aims to strengthen the skills needed to navigate this complex environment by learning to adapt behaviour, working methods, and communication to cross-cultural realities.

Intercultural collaboration requires overcoming unique challenges: conveying ideas clearly, actively listening to different perspectives, and building constructive dialogue despite differences in beliefs, priorities, or communication styles. These obstacles are even more pronounced when participants come from different professional backgrounds (public institutions, NGOs, private sector).

The course provides concrete tools for overcoming these tensions, fostering mutual trust, and reaching agreements that are aligned with common goals while respecting the cultural specificities of each stakeholder.

Through a practical and introspective approach, participants will analyse their own role in intercultural dynamics and identify strategies to positively influence collective processes. Case studies, simulations, and collaborative workshops will allow participants to experiment with solutions tailored to real-life contexts (negotiations, project management, advocacy).

The goal is to equip actors — whether working in the social, political, or economic domain — with the keys to building inclusive, sustainable, and meaningful partnerships in an interconnected world.

What you will learn:

By the end of the training, participants will be able to:

• better identify the mechanisms of interpersonal and intercultural communication that influence the way individuals listen to and understand what is being said in negotiations, with a view to creating a climate of trust and credibility;
• understand and analyse their own attitudes, reactions and preferences in relation to others;
• draw up a list of behavioural parameters to consider in cross-cultural interaction processes;
• learn the golden rules of intercultural communication to improve their communication techniques;
• maximise their impact when speaking in intercultural discussions and when negotiating informally behind the scenes.

Prerequisites
Prior to this training course, participants will be requested to:

• Complete their personal cultural profile tool: instructions for access will be sent by email when the participant’s registration has been confirmed.
• Bring to the workshop at least one example of a challenging cross-cultural professional situation that they have faced.

Course methodology:

The teaching method – highly operational in nature – uses a bottom-up approach based on several scenarios, either hypothetical cases or real cases introduced by the participants themselves.

The simulation exercises offer a learning-by-doing approach, while serving as eye-openers for participants.

The exercises help them to acquire essential techniques and tools to interact or negotiate better in a cross-cultural environment.

A video recording will alternate with workshops, exchanges of practice and theoretical contributions.

Throughout the course, participants receive feedback and advice on managing personal, intercultural and communication challenges in an international environment.

The trainers assist participants in developing their individual action plan to implement and develop their new cross-cultural skills.

All sessions will be delivered in English, with full simultaneous interpretation in French available throughout the event. Enjoy a rewarding experience where language barriers are removed, allowing everyone to participate and learn to the fullest. Seize this unique opportunity to enhance your skills in a multicultural setting and connect with professionals from across the globe!

This course will:

• help you to understand how the achievement of negotiation objectives is affected by behaviour, personality, communication style and culture.
• provide you concrete advice on how to reflect on your own behaviour – and understand that of your counterparts – in order to improve your communication skills, particularly in the context of the interactions internally and with international bodies.

This training course will be fuelled by the Jung’s theory, an introspective self-report questionnaire and a Culture Active online assessment. These online tools and models operate as a complementary learning tool and will be at the disposal of the participants after the training.

Free online learning module
Interested in learning more about the skills needed in a cross-cultural environment? Participants will have access to our online learning platform and our introductory session on cross-cultural skills.

In this online course we lay the foundations to help ensure that you and your team are not being held back by certain communication techniques. Learn about interpersonal awareness, active listening and bias through our self-reflective training.

This course is designed for representatives of public or private sector, officials of national, community and international organisations and agencies, civil society, who are involved in preparing, supporting or conducting cross-cultural negotiations, either internally or externally at any level.

Anyone who are involved regularly in any cross-cultural projects, bargaining or consultation processes with other parties in the course of their work.

Project number: 2510904

Course venue
European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA)
O.L. Vrouweplein 22
6211 HE, Maastricht
The Netherlands

Project Management Officer
Ms Noëlle Debie
Tel: +31 43 32 96 226
n.debie@eipa.eu

Simultaneous interpretation
This course is offered with simultaneous interpretation in English and French.

Fee
The fee includes documentation, refreshments, lunches, and a dinner. Accommodation and travel costs are at the expense of the participants or their administration.

Discounts
EIPA member fee
EIPA offers a discount to all civil servants working for one of EIPA’s supporting countries, and civil servants working for an EU institution, body or agency.

Who are the supporting countries?
Civil servants coming from the following EIPA supporting countries are entitled to get the reduced fee: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden.

For all other participants, the regular fee applies.

Early bird discount
The early bird discount is not cumulative with other discounts or promo codes, except for the EIPA member fee.

Loyalty coupon
As a token of appreciation we offer all our participants a loyalty coupon for one of our future courses. The offer can be shared with colleagues and relevant networks. The coupon will expire one year after its release. This discount is not cumulative with other discounts, except for the EIPA member fee.

Meals
Dietary preferences can be indicated on the registration form.

Hotels
EIPA has a special price arrangement with a few hotels. The hotels are within walking distance from EIPA. Payment is to be made directly and personally to the hotel upon checking out.

• Derlon If you wish to take advantage of this special price, please click on the hotel name to book directly using the link
  info@derlon.com
  +31 (0)43 321 67 70
• Townhouse If you wish to take advantage of the special price, use the word ‘EIPA’ in the promotion code field
  info@townhousehotels.nl
  +31 (0)43 323 30 90
• Mabi If you wish to take advantage of the special price, use the word ‘EIPA’ in the promotion code field
  info@hotelmabi.nl
  +31 (0)43 351 44 44
• Kaboom Hotel If you wish to take advantage of the special price, use the word ‘EIPA’ in the promotion code field
  info@kaboomhotel.nl
  +31 (0)43 325 33 40
• Leonardo Boutique Hotel
  reservations.maastrichtcitycenter@leonardo-hotels.nl

Confirmation
Confirmation of registration will be forwarded to participants on receipt of the completed online registration form.

Payment
Prior payment is a condition for participation.

Cancellation policy
For administrative reasons you will be charged €150 for cancellations received within 15 days before the activity begins. There is no charge for qualified substitute participants.

EIPA reserves the right to cancel the activity up to 2 weeks before the starting date. In that case, registration fees received will be fully reimbursed. EIPA accepts no responsibility for any costs incurred (travel, accommodation, etc.).

A few days before the start of the course you will receive the log-in details for accessing the course materials. You can log in here.