Pavlo Klimkin, one of the most successful Ukrainian foreign ministers taught negotiations course. What makes or breaks it? Is it rational or emotional? SE MBA students were mastering the techniques and modeled difficult negotiations such as hostage liberation, pitching an environmental project, and buying a football team player. Here are the highlights of the class and advice from Pavlo Klimkin.

• When you start negotiations, especially unexpected ones or in a fast-changing environment, it is critical to pause shortly to assess the situation.
• Understanding the purpose of negotiations is more important than understanding the position. Focusing on your counterpart’s interests should help you achieve your goals.
• Making contact is the first step in any negotiation. Empathy or understanding other people's emotions helps a lot in that.
• In negotiations you should listen to the other party. When people talk they are following their strategies. Listening carefully to another person’s words and separating lies is critical.
• Negotiations are based on open questions. With “how” questions you have better chances to succeed because “how” allows multiple answers and is more neutral than “what” questions. 
• Negotiations are like a duel because you do not think about each and every step. Following and responding vis-a-vis each step and reacting is essential.
• Enjoy the negotiations. Although negotiations are rational according to the Harvard Business School, humans are not rational beings, that’s why the drive helps.