Noura Alrashid

Building the soft skills to perform more effectively

When you work in risk management you need to develop a raft of skills. In my role, I need the hard financial and analytical competencies to assess different types of risk, but progressing in my career, I understood that I also needed to build soft skills – the kinds of strategic communication skills that help you convey complex ideas and concepts to decision-makers effectively.

The LSE Negotiation programme was an excellent fit for me in the sense that it delivered not only the soft skills development that I was looking for, but a chance to build out my professional network too.

Going into the programme I was really struck by how diverse and international the cohort was. My class was made up by professionals from a real multiplicity of backgrounds – not just in terms of age, experience and geography, but also in sector, industry and type of organisation. The peer-learning dynamic really energised the experience, giving us a chance to exchange very diverse perspectives on how to negotiate, while underscoring the importance of sensitivity and respect for different cultures.

I was also struck by the hands-on, practical dimension of the programme. I had expected the learning experience to be highly theoretical and to come away with a general overview of the kinds of aptitudes I needed to develop. But while there was plenty of conceptual learning, there was also a high degree of experiential activities. We were challenged to share and defend our opinions with our classmates, and to assess each other’s reactions in negotiating scenarios and simulations, giving input on the kinds of skills we needed to develop. This made the learning experience so much richer and more comprehensive.

Putting the programme to good use

One of the key takeaways of the programme is the importance of listening. And this is something I consciously practice now in my day-to-day role.

When you’re negotiating with colleagues, it’s key to listen first and take your time to understand their needs, their position. So there’s an imperative to wait first before making any kind of offer. You don’t know what’s in the mind of the person in front of you until to take the time to find out – they might not even be expecting what it is you think you have to offer. That’s been a really critical learning for me and something that I integrate into my daily practice.

My experience at LSE exceeded my expectations. From my interaction with my classmates through to the individualised, one-to-one attention from faculty who are absolutely first class, everything about the Negotiation Programme is tailored to accelerating your learning and meeting your needs. I would absolutely recommend this programme to anyone looking to boost their negotiating skills in today’s complex and multi-cultural world.