SDP + AIEN EVENT | Negotiation Skills Seminar: Integrating Decision Quality in Energy Negotiations
This interactive seminar is built on a simple premise: every negotiation is a sequence of critical decisions made under uncertainty. In the energy sector — where stakes are high and complexity is the norm — the quality of those decisions shapes long-term outcomes.
Join the Society of Decision Professionals Houston Chapter & the US AIEN Chapter for a dynamic session that brings together practical negotiation expertise and disciplined decision-making. Through short instructional segments, live role-playing, and structured debriefs, participants will see how structured decision frameworks and real-world negotiation judgment reinforce one another — building practical, repeatable skills that translate directly to the field.
The seminar opens with an introduction to the Decision Quality framework and the anatomy of a negotiation decision. Led by experienced energy negotiators, the session explores core principles — clear framing, meaningful alternatives, trade-offs, uncertainty, and alignment with stakeholder values — and demonstrates how they apply in complex commercial negotiations.
Participants then apply these concepts through small-group negotiation exercises. Each role-play is followed by a structured debrief, during which our speakers share insights drawn from complex energy transactions — illustrating how seasoned practitioners assess options, navigate timing and risk, and drive long-term value creation.
Throughout the program, featured speakers draw explicit connections between negotiation execution and disciplined decision-making — showing how experienced negotiators prepare, adapt, and course-correct using both structured frameworks and professional judgment.
Seminar includes:
- Brief instruction on Decision Quality in negotiation contexts
- Small-group negotiation role-playing exercises
- Structured debriefs focused on improving decision discipline
- Practical tools participants can immediately apply to their own negotiations
Designed for professionals across traditional and low-carbon energy markets, this seminar strengthens not only negotiation capability, but decision discipline — equipping participants to navigate complex commercial environments where clarity, structure, and sound judgment make the difference.
Our Instructors:
- Lindsay M. Alaniz, Senior Decision Quality Consultant, ConocoPhillips
- Craig McKnight Sr., Decision Analysis Mgr. / Int’l Commercial Mgr. - Retired, Chevron Corp.
- Norman Nadorff, Special Counsel, Mayer Brown
- Steven P. Otillar, Partner, White & Case LLP
Registration is $25 for members and $75 for non-members.