Ugli Oranges

Ugli Oranges is a classic negotiation role-play game attributed to Robert J. House. Two researchers, Dr. Roland and Dr. Jones, work for competing laboratories and each urgently wants to obtain the entire harvest of Ugli oranges held by a single producer. Each participant receives a confidential brief and believes they must negotiate against a direct competitor. The game highlights the gap between stated positions, real interests, quality of listening, information sharing, and trust building.

Walkthrough

1. 1

   Setting the exercise and establishing urgency

   5 min

   The facilitator announces: "You will experience a short negotiation, with partial information and an urgent stake. Your goal is to obtain the best possible agreement for your role, without deviating from your confidential brief." They specify that the game lasts a total of 30 to 45 minutes and is played in pairs or in sub-groups opposing two roles. Participants should not try to guess the mechanism of the game, but act as they would in a real negotiation. The established framework creates enough tension to reveal positioning reflexes.

   Tip — Never give the debrief theme in advance: if you say "interests versus positions" before the negotiation, you neutralise the main learning.

2. 2

   Forming the parties and distributing confidential briefs

   5 min

   The facilitator forms pairs: one person plays Dr. Roland, the other Dr. Jones. If there are more participants, they form several pairs in parallel or two negotiation delegations. They hand each participant a confidential brief: Dr. Roland works for a competing laboratory and has a vital and urgent need for the entire harvest of Ugli oranges, as their real need is solely for the peel; Dr. Jones also works for a competing laboratory and has a vital and urgent need for the entire harvest, as their real need is solely for the juice. Each reads their brief without showing it to the other.

   Tip — Explicitly ask participants to fold or turn over the brief after reading: this prevents accidental glances and reinforces confidentiality.

3. 3

   Individually preparing strategy

   5 min

   The facilitator allows for a silent preparation time and says: "Prepare for your negotiation entry: what you want to achieve, what you are willing to say, what you want to keep confidential, and the questions you might ask." Each participant clarifies their initial position: to obtain the entire harvest of Ugli oranges. They may also note their real need but are not obliged to reveal it. This step brings forth assumptions, fears, and protective strategies before the exchange.

   Tip — Emphasise the questions to ask, not just the arguments to prepare: this is often where the success of the agreement is determined.

4. 4

   Negotiating access to the harvest

   10 à 15 min

   The facilitator initiates the negotiation: "You now have a limited time to reach an agreement regarding the unique harvest of Ugli oranges. Speak directly to your counterpart and formalise your agreement if you reach one." Participants negotiate freely: some will fight to obtain the entire harvest, others will propose a split, and others will question the exact needs of the other. The facilitator observes without assisting, noting listening behaviours, disclosures, and blockages. The key point is to allow the pairs to discover, or not, that one seeks the peel and the other the juice.

   Tip — Resist the urge to intervene with a blocked pair too early; the blockage is valuable data for the debrief.

5. 5

   Collecting the agreements reached

   5 min

   At the end of the time, the facilitator stops all discussions and asks: "What agreement did you reach, in one sentence?" Each pair announces their result: harvest given to one, sharing of the harvest, no agreement, or an agreement allowing one to use the peel and the other the juice. The facilitator visibly notes the different outcomes without immediately judging them. This sharing shows that the same starting information can produce very different results depending on the quality of the exchange.

   Tip — Classify the agreements on the board into three simple categories: confrontation, compromise, value creation. This prepares the debrief without giving a top-down lesson.

6. 6

   Revealing the hidden mechanism

   5 min

   The facilitator calmly reveals: "Dr. Roland only needed the peel; Dr. Jones only needed the juice. It was therefore possible for each to obtain 100% of what they actually needed." They ask participants to compare this solution with their actual agreement. The pairs that found the information explain how they achieved it; those who did not describe what held them back. The revelation transforms the experience into a learning opportunity about the difference between asking for the same thing and wanting compatible things.

   Tip — Do not only congratulate the pairs that found the solution; also value the blockages, as they make visible very common reflexes in negotiation.

7. 7

   Debriefing positions, interests, and trust

   10 à 15 min

   The facilitator leads a collective exchange: "What made you stick to your position? What allowed or prevented you from discussing your real need?" They connect observations to the concepts of stated position, real interest, active listening, information sharing, and trust. They invite everyone to identify a professional situation where they sometimes confuse what the other is asking for with what they actually need. The debrief aims to transfer the experience to meetings, purchases, projects, client relationships, or internal arbitrations.

   Tip — Have participants rephrase a position statement into an interest statement: for example, change from "I need the entire harvest" to "I need the part of the orange that serves my objective."

Variants

• In a large group, form several pairs in parallel and then compare the agreements reached. This variant quickly shows the diversity of strategies and allows for learning from contrasting results.
• In delegations, divide participants into two teams, one playing Dr. Roland and the other Dr. Jones. Each team prepares their strategy, then designates one or two negotiators observed by the rest of the group.
• Remotely, send the confidential briefs via private message or separate document, then place the pairs in virtual rooms during the negotiation. Return to plenary to collect the agreements and reveal the hidden mechanism.
• To reinforce learning, add observers in some pairs. They do not negotiate and only note the questions asked, the information shared, and the moments when trust increases or decreases.