The Negotiation Coaching Clinic, hosted by the Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Collaboratory (NCRC) at the Harvard Kennedy School, is an intensive program designed to develop and refine negotiation skills through a structured, research-based coaching protocol. Offered twice annually, the Clinic provides participants with an unparalleled opportunity to be individually observed by a trained coach and enhance their negotiation performance in an interactive and supportive environment.
What to Expect
Participants in the Coaching Clinic engage in:
- Goal Setting: Work one-on-one with a dedicated coach to identify and focus on key negotiation goals.
- Interactive Simulations: Participate in dynamic negotiation exercises, gaining hands-on experience with real-world scenarios.
- Personalized Feedback: Receive detailed feedback tailored to individual goals, strengths, and areas for improvement.
- Guided Reflection: Reflect on lessons learned and strategies for continued growth.
Program Structure
The Coaching Clinic incorporates:
- Multiple negotiation simulations, designed to challenge students and enhance their negotiation tactics and strategies.
- Post-simulation debriefs to consolidate learning and prepare for subsequent simulations.
- Dedicated coaching sessions to refine skills and provide actionable insights.
- Peer preparation exercises to foster collaboration and strategy development.
This unique structure ensures that participants leave the Clinic with increased confidence, advanced negotiation strategies, and a deeper understanding of their personal negotiation style.
Who Should Attend
The Clinic is ideal for individuals seeking to:
- Improve their negotiation skills for professional or personal contexts
- Build confidence in high-stakes negotiation scenarios
- Gain a deeper understanding of their unique growth areas through reflection and practice
Whether you are a seasoned negotiator or new to the field, the Clinic provides an invaluable experience tailored to your individual needs.
Testimonials
Participants consistently rate the Clinic as one of the most impactful experiences at the Kennedy School:
- “It was great! Definitely one of the most rewarding and valuable things I have done since coming to the Kennedy School.”
- “I really appreciate that the Clinic exists! Participating really helped me build my skills and put many of the concepts I'd learned into better practice. The direct feedback was incredibly valuable.”
- “Beyond negotiation skills, I learned a lot about how to get and receive feedback. I started asking specific questions, and how it landed on the other person’s perspective. I have never done that before and I think this is a powerful tool to help me reflect better.”
You are eligible if you:
- Are a current graduate student or fellow at Harvard
- Have taken/are currently enrolled in a simulation-based negotiations course
- Are available for the entirety of the two-day workshop
The Clinic Application
The Clinic has a limited number of spots available and is typically oversubscribed by 3-4x as many applicants as there are spots available. Applications will be judged based on a 100-word motivation statement and a 100-word reflection statement. Applicants are encouraged to submit thoughtful and timely application statements as post-deadline requests and submissions will not be considered. Applicants are encouraged to focus on their growth and desire to learn as opposed to skill as a negotiator in their statements.
Interested in Joining?
The Coaching Clinic is offered every spring and fall. For further details on upcoming sessions and to secure your spot, please check out our interest form below.
The Clinic Team

Monica Giannone
Director | Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Collaboratory
Monica Giannone is the Director of the Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Collaboratory (NCRC) at the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School. Giannone co-founded NCRC in 2020 after running the Kennedy School Negotiation Project together since 2017. Giannone is an Instructor at Harvard Kennedy School where she teaches in numerous Executive Education programs and online climate negotiation courses.
Her current areas of work focus on international climate negotiations, overcoming partisan divide in U.S. legislatures, value-based conflict and dialogue, and situations of low-power. Additionally, Giannone leads “Why It Worked,” a pioneering global and interdisciplinary initiative that delves into the transformative processes that ended the world’s most intractable conflicts over the past 70 years to understand how long-standing, violent conflicts have successfully transitioned to better, violence-free realities.

Joan Moon
Negotiation Coaching Clinic Lead
Joan Moon is a Negotiation & Conflict Resolution Collaboratory Fellow at the Center for Public Leadership where she was the founding coach and lead researcher for the Negotiation Coaching Clinic in 2018.
Previously Joan served as a Fellow and Lara Warner Scholar at the Women and Public Policy Program where she was the founding coach for the Career Negotiation Coaching Program and researched the effects of negotiation coaching on negotiation outcomes.
Joan is also the founder of Moon Negotiation, LLC. Before her time at Harvard, Joan was a Teach For America corps member, Bronx schoolteacher, and management consultant.
Sam Talamini
Program Coordinator – Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Collaboratory
Clinic Coordinator