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In our last newsletter, we encouraged you to open up your training toolbox and get back to some basics -- specifically, dusting off your role play strategies. As we reminded you, our job as workplace learning professionals is to help people become more skillful. And skill is like muscle. It doesn't grow until people use it. Role play can be a great way to build skill.
We have a strong bias toward setting up role play experiences so that everyone in the room is actively participating, as opposed to watching a few people struggle through a scenario. By having people break into pairs, everyone can play a role. Of course, that makes it hard for you, the facilitator, to know how each pair is doing. That's where the observer comes in.
Consider asking the group to break into triads, and asking one person in each small group to serve as the observer. This way, each group has a built-in coach to help them process how they did after the role-play is over. YOU will need to help the observers know what to do.
A few tips:
- Give them a handout that explains the scenario and, if applicable, both roles being played.
- Let them know their job is not to intervene or help solve any problems, but simply to watch.
- Some observers benefit from a checklist -- especially if you have been teaching a particular skill and want them to watch for specific behaviors.
- At the end of the role play, the observer becomes the "facilitator" of the small group debrief. He/she should first invite the participants to comment on what went well, as well as what they would like to change. Then the observer can add any other comments.
If time allows, we recommend you have the triads do two more role plays to practice skill-building, allowing each person to take a turn as observer. |
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CaseCard News
Last month, on Facebook, we asked your opinions about role playing.
The votes were split between those who see role play as a "necessary evil" and those who see it as "great practice for building new skills". Thank goodness, no one reported that they'd "rather go to the dentist for a root canal" than participate in role play. Whew!
We're happy to report that Marianne Mercer, Instructional Designer at Piedmont Natural Gas, was our lucky drawing winner. Marianne is receiving a feedback deck as thanks for playing with us! |
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In the Trenches
How are CaseCards being used in the real world?
One of our colleagues recently helped us to pilot-test the not-yet-released teambuilding cards. She spent a day teaching leaders how to build more effective teams, using a model borrowed from a popular book about teaming. She used the cards to give participants a chance to practice their skills, problem-solving how they could address various situations back on the job.
The benefit of the cards is that she could have used them with ANY teambuilding book or model, as they are model neutral. The same is true of the popular feedback and influence cards; they can be used to reinforce or provide practice for any model you're teaching.
We'd love to hear from YOU! Using CaseCards? Loving them? Have suggestions? Let us know how you're using the cards, and what kinds of results you're getting. We're always grateful for your feedback. |
