One way these goals are accomplished is through workshops in which the parties to a dispute use the model as an opening exercise. We present a case history of a workshop we held to help managers at the Wyoming Department of Game and Fish assess what might be expected from using LIAM to initiate a series of stakeholder meetings. Workshops are useful techniques for beginning a negotiation. A negotiation workshop should be designed to promote trust and open communication as a means to develop an atmosphere of creative problem-solving.
Conflict resolution is unlikely to occur in the workshop itself.
The LIAM workshop attempts to increase the chances for successful negotiation by walking participants through several stages. Generally, the workshops are held over a two-day period, in a neutral setting, preferably a location with comfortable conference facilities. Participants are invited with a clear understanding that they are to identify the obstacles and opportunities for negotiation and that the LIAM will be used. In the first stage, participants introduce themselves and ground rules for the session are established. In the second stage, they are asked to identify key issues concerning their respective points of view.