Hello again!

I think that the previous lesson was one of the funniest ones this far. It was interesting to see presentations about different topics that the students had chosen related to the course topics. In addition to the presentations there were activities that each group had planned and implemented. I think the activities were the best part of the lesson as they demonstrate the points given in a good and fun way.

All the presentations were really good. However, I really liked the analysis about the negotiation scene from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. I had seen the movie and was familiar with the scene. However, I had not noticed how many different aspects to negotiation it contained before now. I think I will never be able to see Pirates of the Caribbean again without looking into Jack Sparrows negotiation skills so the presentation really changed my life =P

In every presentation, there was very good discussion about the topics. I learned for example many things about non-verbal communication in different countries. My group had done their presentation on this. There was also one group that kept the topic a secret at the beginning which was a good idea as the activity prepared the audience for the presentation. From the presentations and group discussions I learned for example that the eye contact can have a very different meaning in different cultures. The culture also affects the directness of negotiation in a great manner. Other things that change are for example the pace of decision making and negotiation in addition to the nature of negotiation. In some cultures people aim for win win situation whereas in some other ones the negotiation is more like win loose.

All in all it was a good lesson. See you again next week!