Yesterday’s negotiation and contracting skills won’t work for tomorrow’s deals that demand collaboration and flexibility in a dynamic business world where “business happens.”

This intensive course (2 day onsite or 5 half-day virtual) is ideal for individuals who want to take their negotiations and contracting skills to the next level. The highly interactive course provides an intimate Executive Education setting where participants learn cutting edge relational contracting principles that “flips” conventional negotiations on its head – turning any negotiation into a more collaborative contracting exercise.

The program kicks off with participants taking the Getting to We online course (provided free for enrollees – a $475 value) as pre-work. This enables them to learn the basics before they ever enter the classroom. Attendees are then immersed in an intensive program where they will learn how to apply a simple 5-step process, getting hands-on experience applying their learnings to a case study where they negotiation and collaboratively construct a contract – including writing six common contract terms such as liability and termination clauses which often pit business partners against each other.

What’s in It for You?

• Understand the why and what of relational contracts.
• Be confident when to use a relational contract.
• Learn a simple 5-step process for creating a relational contract which will enable you to negotiate the foundation of the relationship before negotiating any deal points – essential for creating the environment for non-adversarial negotiations.
• Get hands-on experience turning common controversial contract clauses into clauses that create a more fair and balanced win-win spirit
• Learn how to structure a relational contract.
• Leave with access to soft copies of the entire Getting to We toolkit and resources which you can repeatedly use in future negotiations – including a relational contract template that has proven to effectively help dozens of companies make the shift to relational contracts.
• Network with others also learning progressive contracting skills. The course creates an intimate setting where attendees learn from each other. Attendees can opt to join a more formal network for continued learning after the course ends.

The Collaborative Contracting Executive Education Course is offered as both an open enrollment class and a private class delivered to teams needing to sharpen their collaborative contracting skills.

Enrollment

The University of Tennessee offers the Collaborative Contracting Executive Education course in both open enrollment and private/customized options.

Open Enrollment Course Dates

Fall 2025 Class Sessions are Open for Registration!

The winter course offering is delivered as an in-person virtual course delivered over Zoom and consists of 5 virtual sessions

Dates: December 2, 4 11, 16, and 18th

Times: Classes start at 9am Eastern / 3pm CET and each session lasts for four hours

Tuition: $2,975 or $1487.50 for repeat participants. Group pricing is available with 15% discount for a group of three or more.

Please contact Mike Watts ([email protected]) for availability and registration assistance.

Private/Customized Course Options

The private course option is ideal if you have over 15 people. Mike Watts – program Chief of Staff – can work with you to give you a firm cost for a private course for your situation.

FAQ

“HOW MUCH TIME DOES IT TAKE TO DO THE PRE-WORK?”
The pre-work consists of the Getting to We self-paced online course modules. Plan on spending 4 hours to complete the pre-work. You will get access to the pre-work after you register and the pre-work can be accessed anywhere in the world with an internet connection. Attendees typically start the pre-work 2-3 weeks before the course start date.

“I NEED HELP REGISTERING”
Reach out Mike Watts – program Chief of Staff – who can answer questions and provide personalized help in getting registered. Mike can be reached at [email protected] .

“CAN MY COMPANY PAY FOR THE COURSE WITH A PURCHASE ORDER”
Most individuals simply pay for the open enrollment course with a credit card. However, we can arrange for you to pay via a Purchase Order. Please Reach out Mike Watts – program Chief of Staff – who can answer questions so UT can properly invoice you. [email protected] .

“HOW MUCH DOES A PRIVATE COURSE COST?”
The breakeven for doing a private course is typically 15 people, but it depends on the location and hosting arrangements. Mike Watts – program Chief of Staff – can work with you to give you a firm cost for a private course for your situation.

“THE DETAILS OF OUR RELATIONSHIP AND CONTRACT ARE CONFIDENTIAL. HOW CAN YOU ENSURE CONFIDENTIALITY DURING OPEN ENROLLMENT REALPLAY® SESSIONS?”
This course does not include RealPlay® exercises. Rather we use a case study where individuals role play (vs. RealPlay). However, private course can be customized to integrate RealPlay – applying collaborative contracting skills to your unique situation. If you do choose a customized course, Mike Watts – program Chief of Staff – will coordinate a planning session. A customization fee may apply based on your unique situation.