The “Value Negotiation: How to Finally Get the Win-Win Right” event, held at the Four Seasons Nile Plaza on the 18th/19th October 2010, was a huge success. The event was conducted by Nuno Delicado, visiting lecturer at INSEAD and founding partner of the consulting firm Pluris, specialized in negotiation and mediation. Nuno Delicado conducts negotiation and mediation trainings, coaching, and consulting to both, private and public sectors, and he is a former management consultant with Bain & Co. and McKinsey & Co.

The highly interactive two-day event had managed to congregate the elite of top and senior executives from different functions and industries across Egypt. By the end of the second day, the participants became specialized in negotiation and communication skills for daily business interactions; deepened their capability to analyze and evaluate own negotiation behavior and assumptions; have broadened their skills on dealing with difficult behaviors; and have developed confidence in the ability to approach any negotiation in a structured and systematic way.

The highlight of the program was introducing the participants to the Value Negotiation approach and its seven elements to achieve best outcomes possible. This is realized through three different stages: firstly, by building a bridge that acquires good communication and enhanced working relationship. Secondly, value pursuit through satisfying all interests, presenting the best options and solutions, and to comprehend the legitimacy of these options. Finally, methods to attain best possible decision by discussing alternatives and preserving sustainable commitment to settled agreements.

All of these skills were achieved through in-class exercises, class discussions, and role plays of negotiation cases which the participants had found greatly challenging entertaining, rich, and rewarding. Consequently, the event has been substantially appraised as a successful and valuable program by all participants. And thus the Executive Institute can proudly say that the event was a “Win-Win” event for us and more importantly for our participants.

Beware of the Value Negotiators, they cannot be excelled!

The Executive Institute’s Marketing Strategy event on May 26th/ 27th, 2010 was a great success. The lecturer, Prof. Luc Wathieu from ESMT in Berlin/ Germany, taught at Harvard Business School for over 10 years. He came all the way to Cairo exclusively for the Executive Institute to conduct a two-day course on Marketing Strategy for 22 executives at the Four Seasons Nile Plaza.

The participants enjoyed the mixture of theory and practical exercises. Meeting different executives of well-known companies from various industries within Egypt in the pleasant atmosphere of the Four Seasons was perceived as a great advantage. The participants enjoyed the innovative way of combining learning with and from each other while networking at the same time.

The program focused on different components of marketing strategy including the power of marketing concepts and processes, brand positioning, communication campaigns, the roles of distribution channels and price setting. Practical and real life examples as well as case studies from different industries and well-known brands
deepened the understanding of how to create, position, maintain and monitor a powerful and consistent brand. Learning techniques to identify branding challenges problems and organize a brand turnaround; to turn a local brand into a global leader; to manage communication campaigns in an effective and cost-efficient way; as well as how to avoid price-based competitions were key outcomes of the program.

It is time to shape up your brand!

On March 31st/ April 1st, 2010 the Executive Institute welcomed Prof. Richard Jolly from London Business School as lecturer for its “Mobilizing People – Leadership from Within” event at the Four Seasons Nile Plaza.

A group of executives representing a variety of industries took the chance to participate in the two-day program reviewing and developing leadership skills as well as fostering their ability to persuade others to follow them.

The program focused on different components of leadership including examining the means of an effective executive and the main mistakes that managers make as they become more senior. An exercise on team leadership helped to foster the understanding of what motivates executives, managers and their employees to show extraordinary involvement and setting incentives accordingly. Learning techniques to manage the complex demands of leadership, through attributions, dealing with failure, self beliefs, and resilience, as well as the need to balance skill with authenticity were key outcomes of the program.

The feedback of all participants was consistently positive. Content, lecturer and organization of the event were graded very good and excellent, and the program was highly appreciated by all participants.

“Mobilizing People” was a raving success!