Everyone enters a negotiation with their past. Learning more about the individuals at the table will help you better connect with them when discussing solutions to issues. So, making the time to create these connections is an essential way to improve discussions at the table.
- Sasha Mozaffari, MIRHR Student and ASIR-HR Executive Committee Vice President, Student Life
The cup has come home.
Earlier this month, CIRHR Instructor, Bob Thompson, accompanied seven of our talented students to Ithaca, New York to participate in the 2024 Inter-University Negotiations Competition, an event which tested students’ bargaining skills, and allowed them to tackle a multi-party industrial relations problem centered around the healthcare industry.
Hosted at Cornell University, the competition brought MIR students from Cornell, Queen’s University, Rutgers University, and Penn State into collegial competition with our University of Toronto MIRHR students, Yasmin Al-Haik Naji, Sasha Mozaffari, Laura Russell, Hsiao-Yuan (Angel) Sun, Shaghayegh (Shay) Vahabi, Jodi Williams, and Victoria Zhang.
Each student assumed a unique role and faced off with a combination of other students in simulations taking place in one of five negotiation rooms. Bob tells us, with great pride, that once the final scores were tallied, the “University of Toronto placed first – results that were achieved by our high-performing U of T team from the IRE1635 Collective Bargaining course.”
This isn’t our students’ first visit, however, nor is it our first win. For more than a decade, the Negotiations Competition has proven to be a powerful, supplementary learning opportunity for students enrolled in Bob Thompson’s popular elective.
“The IRE1635 Collective Bargaining course has allowed me to pragmatically develop my negotiation skills, within and outside of the classroom,” says Jodi Williams, who is currently completing her Master of Industrial Relations and Human Resources degree at the University of Toronto, and has a keen interest in Talent Management, D.E.I., and Organizational Development aspects of HR.
“I have gained experience negotiating mock collective bargaining agreements [and] learned how best to approach these conversations… I’ve [also] been given the opportunity to approach negotiation simulations from both management and union perspectives, which has allowed me to diversify my knowledge in the area of Industrial (Labour) Relations.”
Jodi, along with Laura and Angel, were recognized as top scorers within the Negotiations Competition simulation, while all members have been applauded for their collective efforts, bringing the Excellence in Industrial Relations Award back to the CIRHR for the third time.
In addition to bringing home the top prize, the students also returned with sharpened bargaining and collaboration skills which expanded upon their in-classroom learning.
“My favourite aspect of the Negotiations Competition trip was the opportunity to collaborate with students from diverse backgrounds and learn from their unique experiences,” says Hsiao-Yuan (Angel) Sun, a current MIRHR student, and a graduate of our undergraduate IR/HR program with a minor in Economics.
“Working together allowed us to exchange insights and techniques in collective bargaining, enriching our understanding of negotiation strategies.” She goes on to say that, “participating in the IRE1635 Collective Bargaining course has been an invaluable learning experience, particularly in understanding the significance of relationship-building in labour relations. Establishing rapport and trust with counterparts is essential for achieving mutually beneficial agreements at the negotiation table.”
The Negotiations Competition also nurtured the students’ ability to improvise quickly, adds Jodi. “As each party negotiated based on the priorities of their given roles, there were many instances in which I had to pivot quickly in response to a proposal that was contradictory to mine,” she says.
“Though I was apprehensive before walking into the bargaining room – I anticipated I would be thrown into situations such as these – I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge they presented, [and the ability to] implement the skills I have been developing throughout the semester.”
The usefulness of these skills have applications far beyond the simulation, however. Jodi intends to take her newly honed skills, including “active listening and the ability to think on the spot; the ability to focus on key facts without allowing emotions to cloud my judgement, and the aptitude to achieve beneficial outcomes” into her career and future workspaces.
Likewise, Angel feels that the “real-world exposure to negotiation scenarios” has been invaluable. “It reinforced the importance of adaptability and creativity in finding solutions that satisfy both parties' interests,” she says. “I foresee carrying these skills and insights into my future career, where effective negotiation and relationship-building will be crucial in navigating complex workplace dynamics.”
Bob Thompson and his students extend their gratitude to CIRHR Director, Rafael Gomez, and the Centre for supporting this endeavour; Centre Coordinator, Joanna Jiang, for her logistical coordination; and, as always, the entire staff at the CIRHR.
They also offer their thanks to the faculty and staff at Cornell for their warm hospitality, and Queen’s University for administering the competition rules each year. Bob would also like to acknowledge Shay Vahabi whom, at the last minute, “took on a very challenging role when a student from another school was absent due to illness. In that role, Shay achieved a deal that was not only agreed to by the other participants, but met the high standard of ratification under the rules of the exercise.”
We extend our deepest congratulations to Bob and the U of T Negotiations Team, and thank them for representing us so admirably. They are consummate specialists in their field, and wonderful ambassadors of the MIRHR program and the Centre as a whole.
Every part of this trip, from meeting new IR/HR professionals, students, and schools to the actual case simulation, was extremely fun. However, the friends and connections I've walked away with are the most meaningful. I cannot wait to see everyone grow in their respective fields, and have conversations about the current IR/HR news affecting industries with my colleagues/friends.
- Sasha Mozaffari, MIRHR Student and ASIR-HR Executive Committee Vice President, Student Life