Performance Management

Client Objective

Rhodes Training & Development needed actors with experience of both Forum Theatre and Role-playing.  Their objective?  To give participants as near to a real life experience as possible for Performance Management skills training.

Attendees included all Managers and Directors including the Managing Director.

RTD’s client is a very technical and science based organisation and many of their staff hold high academic qualifications.  The organisation’s objective was to give all management a one day soft skills programme to support an e-learning programme on Performance Management skills.

Requirement

Our client believed that the skills rehearsal element of the programme, given the seniority of some of the participants, would be far more effective if actors were used.  It would also give participants a ‘near to real life’ experience as possible.

In these tough economic times Rhodes asked us to work to a strict brief of sourcing two actors that had experience of role-play and forum theatre who were based locally to their client.  With our extensive database we were able to accommodate this on the specific dates given.

Solution

The Rhodes trainer prepared the actors’ scenarios with their client’s Human Resources team.  They then briefed our actors, specifying the required quadrant behaviours they wanted them to incorporate and demonstrate.

RoleplayUK’s behaviour quadrant includes four fundamental behaviours; Players, Directors, Thinkers and Sensors.  The client needed a medium to high level of challenge because of the participants’ experience and seniority.

The actors were given various hooks to listen out for and gave participants a close and resolution to the situation.  The client needed strong, clear communicators, skilled in both verbal and non-verbal communication skills.

The actors were required to role-play together as well as work directly with the participants.  The actors were directed to give verbal feedback to delegates, to be conducted in character to remove personal emotions and keep things focused on the task at hand. 

To support our actors Rhodes provided useful links to websites, feature articles and relevant information for the actors to investigate and research ahead of the programme.

Impact & Result

The result was a very successful and effective training event that participants benefitted greatly from and that will support the organisation in the rollout of the new PDP system.  Rhodes expressed their keenness to use the same actors should the client wish to role this out to their other OpCo’s.

Some participant comments:

‘One of the best courses I have ever attended’

‘The use of actors made it a very interactive course (without forcing individuals to role play).  This approach was a very welcome and effective method’

‘Using actors helped immensely.  The trainer was good and kept us engaged’

‘Nice and simple.  Use of actors instead of role-play worked well’

‘Relaxed, fun atmosphere, good interaction’

‘Well tailored to our needs’