Alice Shikina

All of my talents contribute to making me a first-rate negotiation coach. First and foremost, I am very comfortable in high conflict situations. I keep your logical/reasoning mind engaged, while keeping your emotions as calm as possible. My calm and gentle, yet firm demeanor truly pulls parties toward a mutually agreeable solution.

alice shikina mediation

Experience

I am not only a negotiation coach, but I am a mediator, so I get to watch negotiations take place from the front row. I mediate cases both with and without attorneys. I have helped hundreds of people improve their confidence and skill level when it comes to mediation. In my private negotiation coaching sessions, I have helped people gain an extra $30,000 in salary per year, get out of their marriages with a win-win deal, and successfully get the full amount of an insurance claim. My Negotiation Academy serves people of all negotiation levels, from novice to expert. Negotiation is a skill that diminishes with less use, so the Negotiation Academy focuses on continuous role-play and strategizing in order to keep skills sharp, much like going to the gym to remain physically fit.

Case Studies

  • Jennifer wanted a night out once in a while and could not get her husband to agree to it, since she cared for their 8-month-old. I helped her get her nights out, so that she could enjoy her life more and have some fun. I coached her on the fact that she was giving away all of her leverage every time she agreed to let her husband go out with his friends. I also explained that he was not keeping count of the times he would go out, while she was keeping mental count. I coached her to ask for her nights out right when he was asking for permission to go out with his friends so that she had the most amount of leverage. She tried this technique and it immediately worked!
  • Matt was struggling to communicate with ease with his ex-wife, who was a narcissist. I helped him successfully communicate with his ex, so that he would get what he wanted out of the exchange. I coached him on how to not become defensive, to repeat back what he heard in order to make her feel seen, heard and understood. I then coached him on how to speak to her, so that she would not become defensive or shut down during their discussions.
  • Liza was leaving her job and wanted advice on how to negotiate her severance package. I gave her the confidence and knowledge to negotiate to get what she wanted. I coached her by asking her what the lowest and highest amounts she would settle for was. I then explained the psychology of negotiating money and how to make offers and counter offers. I also asked her what things she could offer in concession in order to get what she wanted. She walked away with a clear understanding of negotiation and a strategy that she would put into place the next day with her boss.

Single Mom with Grit

I’m a single mom. I know hardship and grit.

I also know hard work. No one gets anywhere without it. I’ve trained myself to stay in motion in order to be able to look at adversity in the eye and move past it. I’m a fighter. But I’m also a nurturer. With all my past experiences, I have the skills to maneuver through rough spots while maintaining grace. I also have a lot of empathy.

My experience as a theater director and actress really honed my communication skills. If you can’t communicate to your actors what you want them to do without giving them a line reading, you won’t be a very effective director and your show won’t be as powerful as it can be.

My first Muay Thai kickboxing fight gave me the grit and courage I have today. As a novice fighter, I trained for three months for a national tournament. I trained three hours a day. It was grueling. It was lonely. There were so many exhausting days where I looked squarely at the face of fear. Exhaustion can eat you alive. It dampens your ability to remain steadfast. It shakes you emotionally to the core. It creates a negative filter around your entire sense of your life. Through it all, I knew I had to remain courageous. If I fell, I had to stand up again and again and again.

Through all of these experiences, I have come to be the mediator and negotiation coach I am today. I bring grit, courage, empathy and compassion to all my clients. In a world where there is so much chaos and conflict, I work tirelessly with my clients to help them gain the confidence they need and want to have the life that they deserve.

When I am not working with clients, you can find me enjoying hanging out with my two boys, who remind me every day what life and love should look like.

Affiliations
Mediation Panels
ADR Training
  • Mediation Certificate from Ron Kelly, San Francisco Bar Association
  • Arbitration Certificate from Ron Kelly, San Francisco Bar Association
  • Mediation Training by Arts Arbitration and Mediation
  • Crossing the Cultural Divide in Mediation by Nina Mierding
  • Negotiation University of Michigan
  • Negotiations Course Yale University
  • Advanced Online Mediation Training with Woody Mosten and Susan Guthrie
Honors/Awards
  • Outstanding Volunteer 2017
  • Wiley E. Manuel Certificate for Pro Bono Legal Services