Mastering Negotiation and Inspiring Teams for Success

Surabaya, November 22, 2024 – Universitas Ciputra Surabaya hosted an online seminar titled Mastering Negotiation and Inspiring Teams for Success on November 22, 2024, from 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM WIB via Zoom and live-streamed on YouTube. This event was part of the Global Entrepreneurship Week Indonesia 2024 series, aimed at students and aspiring entrepreneurs. The seminar was attended by approximately 280 participants.

The event was moderated by Dr. David Sukardi Kodrat, M.M., CPM (Asia), a faculty member of Universitas Ciputra. It featured two main speakers: Prof. Dr. Ir. Denny Bernardus, M.M., a member of the Executive Board of Yayasan Ciputra Pendidikan, and Agustinus Fernando Pinem, Area Head of BNI BSD Regional Office.

The seminar highlighted the importance of negotiation and leadership skills in launching new ventures. The speakers discussed practical negotiation techniques to secure supportive partnerships, resources, and contracts to drive startup growth. Additionally, the seminar provided strategies for inspiring and motivating founding teams, fostering a collaborative culture, and formulating a shared vision.

The first session was delivered by Prof. Dr. Ir. Denny Bernardus, M.M., on the theme, "How Does Your Network Help Execute Your Business Idea." This session thoroughly explored how networks can serve as a key driver of success in bringing business ideas to life. The discussion delved into the principles of Effectual Thinking by Saras D. Sarasvathy, which includes:

Means: Utilizing existing resources.
Affordable Loss: Managing acceptable risks.
Co-Creation Partnership: Building mutually supportive partnerships.
Leverage Contingencies: Capitalizing on opportunities arising from uncertainty.
Worldview: Focusing on controllable aspects.

In his presentation, Prof. Denny emphasized two main points:

Networks enhance the success of business execution. Collaboration, access to information, and support from a wide network can accelerate and strengthen the planned business steps.
Networks reduce the risk of business failure. By having strong relationships, entrepreneurs can find solutions to various challenges, thereby minimizing the risk of failure.

The seminar provided strategic insights for students and entrepreneurs to continuously build productive and valuable relationships to strengthen the business ecosystem in today's competitive era.

In the second session, Mr. Fernando from BNI discussed the topic of Investor Relations in depth. This session focused on effective strategies for managing relationships with investors and the necessary capabilities for achieving success.

The session began with the screening of a YouTube video as an introduction, followed by a more detailed explanation. Key points included:

Building a Team: The importance of having a solid team to support the implementation of a well-structured and effective Investor Relations strategy.
Negotiation Skills: How good negotiation practices are key to gaining investor trust.
Practical Experience in Investor Relations: The speaker shared practical experiences, including challenges faced and solutions applied in maintaining relationships with shareholders and stakeholders.
This seminar offered valuable insights to participants on building professional, strategic, and trust-based relationships in the business and investment world. The session concluded with a group photo of the speakers and participants.