The Participant assumes the role of a Trainee Manager working for a new public sector agency, the Wellbeing Agency. The Participant is required to meet with an end-user who wrote to complain about a negative experience they have had with the level and quality of information available from one of the information services maintained by the Agency. The Participant must address the issues raised by the end-user in order to protect the good reputation of the Agency.
Competencies: Persuasive Oral Communication
The Participant plays the role of an Account Manager in a recruitment consultancy, Orbit Search and Selection. A meeting has been arranged with Consec Logistics, an existing client that has until now been managed by a colleague. This colleague has resigned to join a competitor and the Participant must prepare for the meeting with Consec Logistics by reviewing records obtained from the Company’s internal Client Relationship Management database. These records suggest that the client has an urgent need to fill a number of vacancies in Operations and Customer Services. The Participant’s task is to build rapport, confirm the client’s needs, identify other sales opportunities and close the sale.
The Participant plays the role of an HR Manager in BandTech Telecommunications who is due to meet with an HR Assistant who is one of their direct reports. The HR Assistant has responsibility for a number of tasks, which include sending out joining instructions and filling places on courses. It has become apparent that various aspects of this have not been fulfilled and the Assistant has been the subject of some complaints which can be viewed by the Participant prior to the meeting. It is therefore down to the Participant to tackle these issues and to persuade the HR Assistant to deliver on all such matters in future.
The Participant assumes the role of a Manager in a large Commercial Corporate Bank. The Organisation has recently set up a buddying system and the Participant has been asked to attend a buddy meeting with a colleague. The colleague is from a different department and is considering two career options. The Participant’s objective is to provide independent advice and investigate the colleague’s current situation and concerns. During the discussion further information will arise. The Participant will need to assist their colleague in making this important decision.
The Participant assumes the role of Strategic Development Director in a large retail plc – Kashai Incorporated. The Company has been experiencing a downturn in its performance and the Participant is told that they have been appointed to provide a clear sense of direction and to improve the performance of the Group. The Business Development Manager in their team appears to have become less committed and less enthusiastic over time and the Participant has received some highly critical feedback about this member of their team. As a result, the Participant has been asked to meet with the Manager to review their performance and to agree a way forward.
The Participant plays the role of a Group Head within a professional services firm, Rhodium Consulting. The firm has introduced a corporate mentor programme and the Participant has been asked to act as the Mentor by the individual they are about to meet. The individual wants to meet with their new Mentor to discuss an exciting business proposition and how to successfully gain acceptance from the Board for this new idea. The Participant is provided with background information about the Company and the mentoring programme. The challenge for the Participant is to act as a Mentor, ie giving advice, whilst listening to the Roleplayer and guiding their enthusiasm to achieve their overall objective.
The Participant assumes the role of a shop floor Team Leader in a manufacturing plant, Castle Works. A major performance problem has arisen with a normally reliable hourly-paid employee with whom the Participant will be meeting. The problem has led to the need for a significant amount of re-work on a job and an inevitable delay to the customer. The Participant needs to establish how best to deal with the problem as well as the individual operator.
As a Team Leader at Delta Assurance, a company that sells financial products over the telephone, the Participant is asked to interview a member of staff regarding a dramatic fall in their recent performance. During the meeting the Participant has to find out exactly why the team member is not meeting their targets and decide how the problem should be resolved. This exercise requires the Participant to use their interpersonal and management skills and to establish an appropriate course of action.
The Participant plays the role of a newly appointed Managing Director of a manufacturing company who has to confront a colleague, the Production Director, about their performance, which has recently markedly declined. The Participant has also received a written complaint from the company Trade Union representative at one site, threatening to refer recent events to ACAS (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service), highlighting the potential threat of industrial action, and questioning the Production Directors behaviour and the Company’s policy toward ethnic minorities. The Participant’s task is to gain agreement on an outline improvement plan.
Working in the restaurant of a Hotel, the Participant has to meet with a colleague to discuss their recent performance at work. The individual has not been pulling their weight within the team, resulting in other team members becoming de-motivated and resentful. This has had a significant impact on the team’s performance as a whole and as a result, the Participant has to try and move things forward without damaging their relationship with their peer.
