Dubai,
14 December, 2015
– The Tharawat Family Business Forum,
the association for family-owned companies in the MENA, hosted two MasterClasses in its first collaboration
with the prestigious Law School of the City University of London on December 9th
and 10th in Dubai. The interactive MasterClasses addressed the
topics of effective presentation and negotiation skills for business leaders.
According to a study by the Project Management Institute (PMI), from
2013 “Ineffective communications is the primary contributor to project failure
one third of the time, and had a negative impact on project success more than
half the time.” Research has also found that negotiating within family
businesses is a crucial ‘day-to-day’ challenge – be it negotiating on behalf of
the family or with the family. In a 2012 study by IMD, authors highlight the added
complexities in negotiating with family members versus non-family colleagues. Enhancing
negotiation and presentation skills is therefore crucial for family business
members, both as tools in contributing to business growth and innovation, as
well as in establishing effective communication channels amongst family
members.
Tharawat’s interactive MasterClasses for family business members
across the MENA region are high quality courses held in collaboration with
international partners, in a format that is easily accessible for its members. Specifically
tailored for members of family-owned businesses, the MasterClasses were
attended by participants from the UAE, Oman, Yemen, Jordan, Sudan and KSA, from
across various industries and generations.
The courses were taught by Mr. Robin Sellers, a Senior Lecturer at the
City University London, Law School, as well as a practicing barrister in
London. Mr. Sellers drew from his rich and varied background as academic and
active lawyer to give family business members unique insights into the crucial
fields of negotiation practice and effective presentations.
The MasterClasses offered attendees a unique mix of learning through
theory and hands-on practice during the sessions. Based on a case study from
the family business field, attendees were exposed to different styles of
negotiation, given practical tools to facilitate the negotiation process, and practiced
impactful presentations. They also received individual feedback on their skills,
and had the opportunity to try the tools within group sessions.
Commenting on the classes, Ms. Farida El Agamy, General Manager of the
Tharawat Family Business Forum said: "It is important to Tharawat to be
able to offer targeted sessions to our members and extended network with such a
valuable partner as the City University London Law School. Giving individuals
access to high quality training is a cornerstone in supporting current and
future business leaders to impact the growth and the innovation within family
businesses in our region."
