How do I start the simulation?
The simulation takes place within your HBS Online course in a specially-designed chat tool. You must complete the role preparation section of the module and answer the knowledge check questions in order to start the simulation. You cannot skip ahead. Please leave enough time to complete the role preparation before each simulation deadline. Once you have introduced yourself to your partner in the Negotiation Simulation by providing a means of contact and stating your available times to meet, you have reached the simulation for the purposes of the deadline.
How are partners assigned?
Once you have completed the role preparation section of each module and click to begin the simulation, the pairing process beings. Rather than assigning partners based on location or time zone, the course pairs participants as they arrive at the simulation. This random pairing process ensures that each participant is paired with an active and prepared counterpart in a timely manner.
When will I be assigned my partner? How will I know
If you are the first to arrive for your simulation, you will introduce yourself by providing a means of contact and stating a few times you are available to meet, and then you will wait for a partner of the opposite role to arrive (most partners are assigned within about 8 hours). Once your partner arrives, providing their personal introduction, you will receive an email notification to your HBS Online-registered email address and see a notification on your Activity Feed. Because emails can sometimes get lost, we strongly suggest logging in to the course and checking your Activity Feed every 12-24 hours to see if you have been paired.
If you are the second person in your pairing, you can introduce yourself and start working on scheduling your simulation right away.
If the simulation deadline has passed and you have not received a pairing notification, it’s possible that there was not a partner available in the opposite role. As long as you introduced yourself in the simulation prior to the deadline, you will not be penalized. If you are not paired by the deadline, you will need to go back into the course and proceed through the Solo Experience. It is your responsibility to stay aware of the deadlines and complete the remainder of the module, regardless of how you are paired – or whether you are paired – for the simulation.
Is the deadline to start the negotiation, or finish it?
The Negotiation Simulation deadlines on the course calendar are the dates by which you must start the simulation for that module. In order to meet the certificate requirement for the course, you must complete the role preparation, click to start the simulation, and introduce yourself to your partner in the course’s negotiation chat tool before the deadline for each simulation. Once these tasks are complete, you have met the deadline.
In many cases, the negotiation between you and your partner may extend beyond the simulation deadline; there is no need to rush through any portion of the negotiation as long as it has been initiated prior to the deadline. Please keep in mind, however, that all negotiations should conclude only a few days after they are initiated; it is important to give yourself enough time to complete the remainder of the module after reaching an agreement in your simulation.
My partner is unresponsive, what should I do?
In order to have a partner assigned, each course participant must reach the Negotiation Simulation in the module, so please rest assured that your partner has been active in
the course up until this point.
If your partner does not respond after 24 hours, you may want to post another message that will appear in the “Comments” section of the Activity Feed. You also may try sending a one-to-one message via the Student Directory or via the contact information they have specified in their introduction.
If your partner remains unresponsive, you will be able to move on in the course after the Negotiation Simulation deadline passes. Please remember that prior to that point, you must introduce yourself in the simulation chat feature in order to fulfill the simulation deadline requirements indicated in the “Ending a Negotiation Simulation” section above, please use the “Leave Negotiation” feature after the deadline has passed to leave the simulation and proceed through the Solo Experience.
My partner is unresponsive, should I "walk away?"
“Walk Away” is a negotiating tactic. As outlined in the “Ending a Negotiation Simulation” section on this page, choosing to “Walk Away” still requires the cooperation of your partner to allow you to proceed with the remainder of the module. Keep trying to contact your partner – many participants do finally engage.
If, after getting in contact with one another, you and your partner find yourselves at an impasse in your negotiation, you can use “Walk Away” and proceed through the normal post-simulation debrief. If the Negotiation Simulation deadline has passed and your partner is still unresponsive, you can choose to “Leave” the negotiation. This will place both you and your partner in the Solo Experience and allow you to complete the remainder of the module.
My partner and I cannot work out a time to negotiate, what can we do?
Every participant in Negotiation Mastery has the responsibility to make an effort to find a mutually agreeable time to negotiate. We understand that sometimes this proves difficult.
Though we always encourage participants to negotiate in real time, it is possible to negotiate at different times: you enter a response via the text-based tool when it is convenient for you, and your counterpart replies when it is convenient for them. This type of negotiation is less focused and will likely take a few days to complete, but it can help overcome significant time zone differences or other issues. If both partners agree to this type of negotiation, it is crucial to check the chat tool regularly to keep the negotiation going.
If, after introducing yourself to your partner and agreeing to a negotiation in which you send messages at individually convenient times, you and your partner are unable to complete the simulation, you will be able to move on in the course after the Negotiation Simulation deadline passes. As indicated in the “Ending a Negotiation Simulation” section on this page, please use the “Leave Negotiation” feature after the deadline has passed to leave the simulation and proceed through the Solo Experience.
Can I get a different partner?
Unfortunately, we cannot change the pairings. Please refer to the prior 3 FAQs to understand your options.
Can I get assigned to a partner in my time zone?
The simulation pairings are based on when a participant from each role arrives at the simulation (e.g., participant in Role A arrives at 9:30 AM; participant in Role B arrives at 2:00 PM – these two students will be paired as of 2:00 PM).
Many participants enjoy the experience of negotiating with partners from different countries and cultures. However, if you would like to maximize your chances of being paired with someone in or around your own time zone, we recommend clicking into the simulation portion of the module during normal business hours in your location, as it increases your chances of being paired with a participant in a similar time zone who may click into the simulation at the same time or in the afternoon or early evening.
How did my partner leave the negotiation before we even started?
Once the Negotiation Simulation deadline passes, either partner can drop out of the negotiation at any time and choose to continue through the Solo Experience instead. The other partner is automatically directed to the Solo Experience, too.
If both you and your partner introduced yourselves prior to the deadline, neither one of you will be penalized for not going forward with the simulation.
If you would still like to attempt the negotiation, it is likely there are a few other students who were also let go by their partners. If you are part of the course’s Facebook group, you may want to see if anyone who was in the opposite role is interested in doing an offline negotiation. Please note, however, that even if you choose to pursue engaging in the simulation with a new partner outside the course chat tool, you will still need to complete the Solo Experience in order to progress through the rest of the course content and module exercises.
