News Release
June 4, 2007

Story Contact:
Rhonda Shipp
(307) 527-8560
rshipp@parkcounty.us 

UW hosts negotiation, organization improvement sessions in Cody

Learning to negotiate in private life and professionally and a new method to improve an organization or business are topics in the next two sessions of the University of Wyoming Extension Education Summer Series in Cody.

“The Back and Forth of Win-Win: Negotiation Training” is June 27-28, and “Introduction to Appreciate Inquiry” is July 10. Sessions are 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. at the Thomas the Apostle Retreat Center. The series is sponsored by the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service (UW CES) in Park County.

Both are complex issues, said instructor Rhonda Shipp, UW CES community development educator for Big Horn, Hot Springs, Park and Washakie counties. “Compromise is viewed as weakness,” she said. “We are encouraged and trained to win, sometimes at all costs. This doesn’t work well when there are different perspectives, all of value, trying to reach a decision. Understanding and accepting compromise as acceptable is critical.”

Whether deciding how work is done, where to go for lunch, or what to do this weekend, negotiation is involved, she added. Participants will explore the phases of negotiation, principles to follow, getting to yes and how to get past no.

            Attendees will work on reframing – the ability to define what others’ interests are and restating it in positive terms that move conversations forward. “I call it ‘looking at the issue from the other side,’” Shipp said. There will be several role plays, and a panel of local citizens will talk about how they use negotiation.

Appreciate Inquiry (AI) leaves behind the traditional approaches to management of identifying the problem, analyzing causes, generating solutions and action planning.

AI flips the process. “AI looks at what is working well, what the future could look like, taking themes from what works and applying them to the future, and  figuring out how to get there,” said Shipp. “It is based on the idea that ‘what we focus on becomes reality.’”

Class sizes are limited to 20. There is a $30 fee for “Back and Forth” and a $20 fee for “Appreciate Inquiry.” Pre-registration is required five days before each session. Information and forms are available at www.parkcounty.us/extension.htm by accessing Summer Series Brochure and Summer Series Registration Form or call (307) 527-8560, (307) 754-8560, or (800) 786-2844, ext. 8560.
 

Story Contact: Steven L. Miller, Senior Editor
Phone: (307) 766-6342
E-mail: slmiller@uwyo.edu

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