Case Studies

The Aim

To develop styles of influence across a wide range of stakeholders, working with Angela Sabin of Executive Life Coach, our strategic partner for several public sector clients, 

 The Brief

 Sue Phillips, Head of Financial Skills, HMRC:                            

"To support our work on influencing skills in HMRC Finance, I discussed with Angela Sabin the requirement to allow the attendee the opportunity to try out learning in a safe environment using 'real life' scenarios and actors. I did not want to use in-house resources 1) because of the sensitivity of the scenarios outside the Finance community and 2) I wanted to ensure that attendees had the additional confidence of knowing the actors were professionals."

 Method

We had a number of meetings with Role Call, from an early initiation meeting through to detailed planning of the scenario events. At each, Role Call responded to the issues and concerns we raised in a very constructive manner, sought clarification where our requirement was less clear and suggested useful aproaches; what thay would do, for example, if an attendee was overwhelmed by the scenario experience.

Written feedback was given at the end of each meeting and oral feedback directly to the delegates at specific points during the 2 days.

Outcomes and Feedback

During the events, the actors were able to adapt themselves to our scenarios, the SDI indicator colours and to each attendee. This meant that they had to play an influencing preference 'type' within a business scenario, adapted to each person's experience, as necessary. This worked to the extent that some of the attendees did not believe that one of the actors was not a long-serving civil servant, despite all evidence to the contrary! Role Call were able to be flexible both on overall delivery (numbers/dates of events) and during each event. Each varied in size and we gave the attendees the opportunity of trying their own scenarios, which meant the actors only had the night before to prepare for something different.

Feedback has been very positive throughout and attendees have welcomed the opportunity to try out the scenarios and have praised the approach by the actors as professional, supportive and helpful. This has meant we have been able to deliver to our people a high quality, professional product, tailored to our business needs"

The Aim

For Panel members, GPs, Commissioners and others involved in Individual Funding Requests (IFRs) to explore techniques to manage difficult conversations with members of the public and Health Professionals.

 Method

An interactive workshop led by Dr Pauline Leonard, Consultant Medical Oncologist and Debbie Manship, Director of Role Call, who recreated recognisable situations for participants to benefit from genuine experiential learning.

Through role play with some delegates who volunteered, including a GP and a prescribing advisor, the challenges associated with the communication of difficult information and the techniques that can be employed to overcome them, were explored. The bespoke scenarios focussed on specific and developmental feedback, which provided a distinctive opportunity for participants to learn new methodologies of communication.                          

Outcomes and Feedback

                                                                                                'Delegates found it to be a fascinating and engaging session, which captured their attention and allowed them to actively participate, immediately arriving at new solutions to common challenges.        

An IFR panel member, a GP, worked through the situation of seeking information from a spectacularly annoyed consultant. She stated "This was deep learning; you must be willing to put yourself in an uncomfortable position if you want to change your behaviour. This exercise taught me that you have to have a Plan B before you pick up the phone and my behaviour has changed as a result"'

'The Source' NHS Kent & Medway

Client Comments

Andrea Chait

IFR Manager

NHS Kent & Medway

'"...your work was fabulous. We had so many positive comments, and a number of people specifically mentioned that the role-play was their favourite part and that you were 'absolutely brilliant"'

The Aim

To assess potential for promotion within the organisation to a senior management level.

Method

Complex, multi stranded, 2 day simulation based around 3 fictional parallel organisations, mirroring challenges and issues faced by the real organisation.

8 actors played a variety of roles across the 3 companies including Chief Executives, IT Directors, HR Directors, Finance Directors and Personal Assistants.  They met delegates in several one-to-one and group meetings as the scenarios developed over the 2 days.

The actors were required to absorb a large amount of information for their roles in each of the 3 fictional companies and, during the simulation manage a very complex timetable which meant being in the right role, at the right time, in the right place throughout the 2 days.

Written feedback was given at the end of each meeting and oral feedback directly to the delegates at specific points during the 2 days.

Outcomes and Feedback

Dell were delighted with the simulation as the actors had presented the delegates with the appropriate level of challenge and had given specific, focussed feedback for both assessment criteria and developmental need and had also been “incredibly believable”.  They also noted how time focused the Role players had been, which was critical in keeping the whole event on track

Client Comments

David Thomson, Director and Dell Project Manager for Mentor Ltd.

“Debbie, many thanks to you and your team for all your input into the success of this project”