Adopting the role of newly appointed Area Director for Elysian Banks plc, the Participant conducts a one-to-one interview with one of their team, working as a Case Director chasing defaulting bank customers. This person is seemingly using the Banks power in an inappropriate manner and questions have been raised about their management style. They also appear to be losing enthusiasm for their work. Having reviewed the background information provided, the Participant must address several issues to coach this individual towards an agreed standard of behaviour.
Exercise Level: Middle Management
The Participant assumes the role of a newly appointed Manager of Exam Plus, a leading player within the educational services sector. They are required to meet with a team member who was asked to undertake a task for another manager. Due to insufficient guidance and a lack of the necessary skills and knowledge to complete the task, they missed an important deadline which resulted in the team member being publicly criticised. Having reviewed the background information provided the Participant must motivate the individual in order to rebuild their confidence and to identify appropriate development opportunities.
As the Regional Manager of Paradise Restaurants Ltd, the Participant is required to conduct a performance review with one of their team, due to a performance problem. The Participant is given information by way of a complaint letter and internal memo prior to the review. As well as the workplace issues arising from the job, the Roleplayer’s brief contains personal and emotive material which requires listening, interpersonal sensitivity and integrity on the part of the Participant.
The Participant plays the role of a Senior Manager in a utilities organisation, Spec Utilities. They are representing their Head of Department who is unable to attend a meeting with the Head of Sales & Marketing. Each department has two projects they propose to run this year, but with limited funds available, it is not possible to support all four. The Participant and the Head of Sales & Marketing must agree which two are put forward for approval by the Board who will otherwise allocate the funds arbitrarily. The Participant is only provided with details about the projects their manager would like to put forward.
The Participant plays the part of a Regional Human Resources (HR) Manager in a large clothes retailer who has been asked by their Regional Manager to conduct a counselling interview with a Store Manager whose performance is substandard. The situation needs to be handled with care and diplomacy, as there are non-work related issues to be dealt with and the Participant also needs to consider the relationship between the Regional Manager and the Store Manager.
The Participant plays the role of a Senior Manager in the Finance Department of a Government Agency. The organisation runs a buddying system and the Participant has been asked by an individual that they buddy to meet up. The individual is a Senior Technical Specialist who wants to talk over some upcoming decisions about an internal career move. The challenge for the Participant is to coach the individual (who is at the same level in the organisation structure as them) to make the best decision. During the discussion further information arises around personal issues outside of work and conflict with another employee.
The Participant plays the role of the HR Manager in CoolCustomers, a medium-sized firm which supplies and installs air conditioning equipment and systems for commercial and domestic applications. The performance of one of the four Regional HR Business Partners has been declining on a number of different fronts. There are concerns around the individuals attitude to change, their relationship with peers and the quality of their work. Information about these issues are provided for the Participant along with details of several complaints. The Participant has called a meeting to try and resolve these performance problems with their team member.
The Participant assumes the role of the Assistant Director of Internal Project Co-ordination for the Department of Personal Data, which is responsible for the collection, co-ordination and dissemination of all personal data for use by other government departments. The Participant is required to meet with a colleague to discuss a ministerial briefing in preparation for the opening of a new Computer Data Centre. The colleague is the Chair of the Task Force responsible for overseeing the launch of the Centre. The challenge for the Participant is to brief the colleague that the meeting agenda has now changed due to a serious security breach and to liaise with the colleague to address ministerial and public concerns, agree the content and actions required, and to motivate the colleague to agree a high level plan of the next steps to take to resolve the situation.
The Participant is Head of Data Collection within Town Planing Surveyors, who have recently undergone an organisational change involving the merger of two departments. The Participant must now interview one of the Department Heads, who was an unsuccessful applicant for the Head of Section job which the Participant now holds. Since the selection procedure was open, that fact is known to them both. The Participants task is to gain agreement to improving performance on a project that is falling seriously behind target delivery dates.
The Participant plays the role of an Internal Consultant responsible for driving forward a new internal change programme within AHead, a mobile communications company. The Participant is required to meet with a senior manager who has been making negative comments about the changes and has expressed their unwillingness to co-operate. Unbeknown to the Participant, the senior manager has encountered similar initiatives in the past which have not been successful and is also feeling vulnerable due to the redundancy rumours circulating around the Company. The Participant needs to turn the situation around with the disillusioned senior manager.
