Author: Nikola Goran Čutura, PMP, DASSM
We did it! :-)
December 1st 2021 saw the first live on-site event in Lausanne after almost 2 years break! Even with the strict anti-COVID measures, we hope not to wait 2 more years till the next one - stay tuned!
The event took place in Espace Dickens, about 5 minutes walk from Lausanne train station, in a room that accommodates 30 people for a conference. It was quite comfortable for the group of 8 participants that joined to share and improve negotiating skills, so important for a project manager.
The format for this knowledge sharing event was an interactive game based on the popular italian game “Mercante in fiera” (Merchant at the fair). Basically, each participant tends to maximize the gain and minimize the loss by managing risks (threats and opportunities). However, interaction between participants is encouraged so players may trade for the items they want or team-up and try to mitigate the risks and share the profit. And thus, negotiations started!
The game was introduced and facilitated by Joachim Dehais, PMI Switzerland Board Member, who offered his expertise in this domain of coaching/mentoring project managers. At the start, a simple short version of the game was played to understand the rules and set the context and then a more complex and involved version was played. With great facilitation and explanations throughout the game, Joachim gave us a memorable experience useful not only in professional work but also in any other activity.
After 2 hours of “intensive negotiations”, the winning team received a bottle of local bio red wine (Domaine de la Capitaine) and the runner-up received a memorial card :-)
And then a networking apero took place, which is always a good opportunity to exchange contacts, ideas and experiences.
As the whole event was held in an excellent atmosphere, first impressions were very positive. These first impressions were then confirmed two weeks later in a survey sent to the participants. All in all, an interactive event of 2 hours with little theory and lots of practice is well perceived (a small workshop) and should be continued. If you have more ideas for this (or other) kinds of events, do not hesitate to contact me at
Hope to see you soon,
Nikola Goran Čutura