We did an exercise in our "leadership learning class" in college that involved negotiating for oranges.
You're from MegaSciCorp, and you need 400 oranges to make a drug that will save people from the plague. Fewer than 400 oranges will Really Not Do. This is VERY IMPORTANT. Also, BigCompScience is a HUGE rival with whom We Do Not Do Business.
Your opponent is from BigCompScience, and they need 400 oranges to save people from a completely different deadly disease that's running rampant. Fewer than 400 oranges will not do. This is VERY IMPORTANT. And, of course, MegaSciCorp is a HUGE rival to BigCompScience.
There is currently an orange shortage, and there are only 400 oranges available. AT ALL. IN THE WORLD.
You give each group their version of that backstory. And then you set them at each other.
Sometimes, one group talks the other group into believing that one cause is more important.
Sometimes, they split the difference and each take 200 oranges.
And sometimes, they are able to set aside the hating each other and the tendency to guard information *just* enough to discover that MegaSciCorp's drug uses orange rinds, and BigCompScience's drug uses orange meat.
That's an important lesson on communication, bias, and assumptions.
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You're from MegaSciCorp, and you need 400 oranges to make a drug that will save people from the plague. Fewer than 400 oranges will Really Not Do. This is VERY IMPORTANT. Also, BigCompScience is a HUGE rival with whom We Do Not Do Business.
Your opponent is from BigCompScience, and they need 400 oranges to save people from a completely different deadly disease that's running rampant. Fewer than 400 oranges will not do. This is VERY IMPORTANT. And, of course, MegaSciCorp is a HUGE rival to BigCompScience.
There is currently an orange shortage, and there are only 400 oranges available. AT ALL. IN THE WORLD.
You give each group their version of that backstory. And then you set them at each other.
Sometimes, one group talks the other group into believing that one cause is more important.
Sometimes, they split the difference and each take 200 oranges.
And sometimes, they are able to set aside the hating each other and the tendency to guard information *just* enough to discover that MegaSciCorp's drug uses orange rinds, and BigCompScience's drug uses orange meat.
That's an important lesson on communication, bias, and assumptions.