SageSims Simulation Participant Code of Conduct and Acknowledgment

Effective Date: December 1, 2025

1. Purpose and Scope

This Simulation Participant Code of Conduct sets expectations for everyone who takes part in any SageSims experience. This includes live or virtual simulations, Decision Readiness Lab sessions, Campus Lab use, Simulation Coach Academy sessions, All Hands Simulation Days, Decision Readiness Intensives, and related Blueprint or Action Lab activities.

The goal is simple. Create a psychologically safe, respectful environment where leaders can practice decisions under pressure, learn from one another, and leave better prepared for real-world challenges.

This Code applies to all participants, facilitators, coaches, and observers while engaging in any SageSims activity, on site or online.

2. Psychological Safety and Respect

SageSims events are professional learning environments. Every participant is expected to:

• Treat all others with dignity, courtesy, and respect.

• Listen actively and allow others to contribute without interruption.

• Challenge ideas without attacking people.

• Use language that is professional and free of insults, slurs, or demeaning comments.

Harassment, bullying, and discrimination of any kind are not tolerated. This includes behavior or language related to gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, age, religion, or any other protected characteristic.

Examples of prohibited conduct include, without limitation:

• Threatening or intimidating behavior, verbal or non-verbal.

• Harassing comments, jokes, or images.

• Sexualized language, imagery, or attention.

• Deliberate exclusion or belittling of another participant.

Organizers and facilitators may address inappropriate conduct immediately and may remove participants from the session if behavior does not change.

3. Confidentiality and Use of Information

SageSims sessions often involve sensitive discussion about strategy, risk, operations, incidents, and leadership behavior. To maintain trust and psychological safety:

• Participants must not disclose or discuss specific people, incidents, or decisions outside the session in a way that could reasonably identify individuals, teams, or confidential company information.

• Real-world examples shared by others are treated as confidential and may be used only for personal learning, not for external communication or competitive use.

• Any screenshots, recordings, chat logs, simulation outputs, or materials provided as part of a session are for internal learning only and must be handled in line with your organization’s confidentiality and data protection policies.

If your employer has additional confidentiality requirements, those obligations remain in force and take priority.

4. Participation, Preparation, and Professionalism

The value of a simulation depends on active and professional engagement. By participating, you agree to:

• Arrive on time, prepared to participate for the full session or module.

• Engage fully in role assignments, decision rounds, and debriefs.

• Keep phones and unrelated applications minimized or on silent, except where required for accessibility or urgent matters.

• Avoid multi-tasking that disrupts your own or others’ learning.

• Follow facilitator instructions on timing, tools, and communication channels during the exercise.

In virtual sessions, you also agree to:

• Join from a suitable environment for professional discussion, with appropriate background and attire.

• Use your real name and assigned role to support clarity and accountability.

• Use video where feasible and permitted by your organization’s policies, to support engagement and trust.

5. Use of the SageSims Platform and Materials

When using the SageSims platform or any related tools provided by SageSims or its partners, you agree to:

• Access the platform only with authorized credentials and not share login information.

• Use the platform and simulation materials solely for authorized training and decision practice.

• Refrain from attempting to disrupt, probe, or reverse engineer the platform or underlying infrastructure.

• Respect all intellectual property rights in SageSims scenarios, content, software, and materials. Copies may not be distributed, reused, or adapted outside your organization’s agreed license or without written permission.

Your organization’s Acceptable Use, security, and privacy policies continue to apply while you use the platform.

6. Real-World Scenarios, Emotions, and Wellbeing

Simulations often draw on realistic crisis, risk, or conflict scenarios. These may involve topics such as cyber incidents, layoffs, regulatory investigations, misconduct, or other stressful events. To protect participant wellbeing:

• You may step back temporarily from a specific activity if you feel distressed or overwhelmed and should notify the facilitator as soon as reasonably possible.

• You agree to treat others’ emotional responses with respect and not to minimize, mock, or weaponize anything shared in the simulation environment.

• Facilitators may pause, adjust, or terminate a scenario if they believe psychological safety is at risk.

If you have concerns about your wellbeing or that of another participant, you should raise this with the facilitator or your internal sponsor promptly.

7. No Real Trading or Operational Commitments

SageSims simulations are learning environments. Decisions made during simulations are not real-world commitments.

Participants must not:

• Treat simulation decisions as formal corporate approvals or instructions.

• Enter into external agreements, financial trades, or operational changes based solely on simulation content without following their organization’s normal governance and approval processes.

This separation protects both participants and their organizations while still allowing realistic practice.

8. Recording, Screenshots, and Observers

Recording and observation policies will be communicated for each session. Unless clearly authorized in advance:

• Participants may not record audio or video, take screenshots, or capture chat logs.

• Participants may not stream or rebroadcast the session in any form.

• Any authorized observers will be introduced at the start of the session and are bound by the same confidentiality and conduct expectations as active participants.

Where recordings are used for debrief or quality improvement, they will be handled according to the organization’s privacy and retention policies and any applicable Data Processing Addendum or privacy notice.

9. Compliance With Organizational Policies and Law

Participants remain subject to their employer’s policies at all times, including codes of conduct, confidentiality, information security, anti-harassment, non-discrimination, and privacy policies. This Code does not replace those obligations. It adds specific expectations for SageSims activities.

All participants must also comply with applicable laws, including those related to privacy, discrimination, harassment, and data protection in their jurisdiction.

10. Violations and Consequences

SageSims and your organization are committed to addressing violations promptly and fairly.

Potential responses to violations of this Code may include, without limitation:

• Verbal or written warning.
  Removal from a specific activity or session.

• Removal from the entire program without refund, subject to the organization’s agreement with SageSims.

• Reporting to the participant’s employer or sponsor.

• Where required, reporting to appropriate authorities.

The specific response will depend on the nature and severity of the conduct and any applicable contractual or HR frameworks.

11. Participant Acknowledgment

By participating in any SageSims activity, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to comply with this Simulation Participant Code of Conduct and Acknowledgment. You understand that:

• The purpose of SageSims sessions is learning and decision practice in a psychologically safe, respectful environment.

• You are responsible for your behavior and contributions, including maintaining confidentiality, respect, and professionalism.

• Violations of this Code may result in removal from the session or program and may be reported to your employer or sponsor.