How do role play actors help with leadership training?

How do role play actors help with leadership training?

There’s no doubt that more and more companies are using professional corporate actors to bring their role play scenarios to life. Whether it’s recruitment role play – to assess potential candidates, sales role play, to improve the sales process and lead to quicker closing, or to develop managers in their team feedback conversations. Bringing in a professional role play company can up the ante in terms of challenge, consistency, and measurable results.

How are corporate role play actors working in leadership trainings different to regular actors trying to get ahead in in the entertainment industry?

Professional role-play actors don’t want to be the star! They are there to support the manager or team member to shine, by demonstrating and improving their people skills in a workplace setting. 

• Actors have spent their years of training and experience studying ‘soft skills’; exactly how verbal and non-verbal communication can change first impressions and develop personal impact.

• Business, or ‘corporate actors’ are committed to helping people understand how to build rapport, develop empathy and have influence at work.

• Feedback is integral to great performances. People improve by understanding the impact they are having and trying out new communication techniques from their coach or director, to fine-tune their performance and improve their ability to persuade.

Why use a role play company rather than your own staff?

Because business actors don’t have opinions about your team, and know little about your products or technical challenges. They know a lot about human behavior, so can complement your product expertize with a deep understanding of human nature.

How can you help your managers understand team leadership and the sometimes daunting prospect of delivering difficult feedback or unpleasant news?

Corporate actors are adept at improv, and work with your specific workplace scenarios or case studies, using your competencies or desired behavioral models. They give immediate feedback, help people practice and give individual coaching and support.

How does drama based training work? No more death by PowerPoint! Bringing theory to life and learning better communication skills and practical tools, people get a powerful experience of how shifts in behavior can help them to be more successful as leaders at work.

Here’s some useful ideas from Mind Tools for setting up your own role play situations.

At Peers and Players, we offer staff and management training in your location. Contact us for a free consultation.  www.peersandplayers.com