Fun time today with exercise generated by GPT:

March 2026: Survival Scenario Ranking (ConsensusNegotiation Exercise)

Objective: Students negotiate to reach fullconsensus on a ranked list of survival items under constraints—simulatinginformal “contracting” without writing.

Scenario: You are part of a group whose plane has crash-landed in a remote desert.It is 95°F, and help may take several days to arrive. You salvaged thefollowing 12 items. Your survival depends on prioritizing them effectively.

Item List

Mirror

2 liters of water per person

Map of the area

Compass

First aid kit

Pistol (loaded)

Parachute (fabric)

Knife

Sunglasses

Flashlight

Jacket

Food rations

Class Timeline

1.Individual Ranking (3 minutes)

Each studentranks top 3 items 1-3 (most important)

2. GroupNegotiation (10 minutes)

Students formgroups of 3–5.

Task:

Produce ONEshared ranking of all twelve

Rules (criticalfor rigor):

Unanimous agreement required (no majority voting)

Every member must agree to the final list 

3. Report Out - Each group shares:

Their top 3 items

One major disagreement they had

4. Debrief

Instructor Key

A commonly accepted “expert ranking” (used in many versionsof this exercise):

Mirror (signaling)

Water

Parachute (shade/shelter)

First aid kit

Knife

Jacket

Pistol

Sunglasses

Flashlight

Map

Food

Compass

Why ThisWorks (Mechanics of Negotiation)

This activitycreates natural conflict because:

Some items seem intuitively important but aren’t (e.g., compass)

Others are undervalued (mirror)

Students must:

Advocate for their reasoning

Reconcile competing mental models

Make concessions

What toWatch For

1. Anchoring

First person tospeak often influences the group disproportionately.

2. Dominancevs Participation

One student may control decisions / Others may disengage

3. FalseConsensus

Groups may rushagreement to finish on time.

4. PoorNegotiation Tactics - Arguing positions (“This is #1”) / Instead ofreasoning (“This helps us signal rescuers”)

 

“What was the hardest item to agree on—and why?”

“Did anyone change their mind? What caused that shift?”

“Did you actually reach consensus—or just give in?”

Negotiationis About Reasoning, Not Winning

Best groups: Sharelogic - Build on others’ ideas  - Adjustpositions