Gaming program to train executives in negotiation skills

1. Author: Paola Benzán Arbaje
Title: The Negotiation Game
Objective: In order to develop the soft skills of negotiation in international executives, Brain Consulting
has created the gaming project called “Negotiation Master” which will help the executives confront,
in a practical environment, different situations and cases of study.
Market Identification: The game is directed to 20 high level executives, which will eventually be going
to the Asia Pacific region to negotiate with their peers in the region.
Identifies and provides a clear rationale for the gaming strategy that will be used: the gaming strategy
consists in the presentation of different situations between two negotiators, in which the participants
will interact with each other. The game will have 20 levels, in which the participants will analyze a
situation presented, and in one minute, they have to take a decision. In each level the negotiators will
interact with different participants, for example, there are 20 participants, in level 1 the negotiator 2
and 3 will interact, but in the level 2, the negotiator 3 will interact with the negotiator 4 and so on.
The purpose of these interactions is to present different situations to the negotiators, but also with
different points of view, because each human being has different perceptions, cognitions and
emotions.
The situation presented in the different levels will vary, and will increase in difficulty. For example, in
level 1 the two negotiators will be presented in a situation in which the reservation value of the buyer
(player 1) is greater than the reservation value of the seller (player 2), which results in a ZOPA.
However, in level 20, the situation will be more difficult, for example a negotiation in which there in
no ZOPA or BATNA.
Specifies the behaviors desired by the audience: the purpose of the game is to create different
situations in which the negotiators will have to be emotionally intelligent to win in the game, because
if the situation presented generates anger, which causes the player to take a wrong decision based on
emotions, the player will have a lower grade. The behaviors desired are mainly patience and firmness.
Describes the player’s path: each player will have a credential, and the username will be a five number
code, in order to avoid revealing the name of each player during the game.
After enrolling, each player will begin in level 1, which will be the easiest, and as they progress in the
game, the situations will become more difficult, in order to present to the executives all the possible
scenarios of a negotiation. The game works with Artificial Intelligence, which analyzes the response of
each player, and according to the content and quality of the answer, the player will have more chances
or will advance to the next level. At the end of level 20, the game will present a summary of all the
answers to each player, and based on these answers, the program will show to the player a report of
his/hers points of strengths and weaknesses.