Instructions

Preparation (10 minutes)

Choose the role you wish to play now. Two people play the following roles: (a) a department head, and (b) a section head who reports to the department head. NB The department head should NOT read the Information Sheet meant for the section head and vice versa.

Role players should read the information sheet for their roles only. The general information is known by both parties, plus there is privileged information for the specific role. Do not read the other role before doing the exercise.

Study your role so that you can play it without referring to the written material. Familiarise yourself with the facts on your information sheet. Prepare to carry out your role as if you were in this position, with the facts, attitudes, and feelings involved. Use your imagination to expand on the facts when necessary to successfully complete the exercise. However, try to be as realistic as possible. Put yourself in the situation. Then, write down your learning goals before meeting with the other party. If you add information to the role description, you must inform the other person and reach an agreement before you begin the exercise.

Information known to Both Parties

During the last few years, your company has gone through several personnel reductions to increase productivity and keep rising costs in line. Many experienced employees have accepted early retirement, leaving most departments lacking people who are technically and professionally qualified and who really know the business.

At the same time, the company has placed increased emphasis on career planning. As a result, professional, technical, and managerial employees have (or at least expect to have) more influence on their job assignments and career paths.

These two developments have combined to create a problem in the finance department. A key middle-aged professional—a section head— is asking for a transfer “to broaden my horizons.” This person reports directly to the department head as a financial and accounting specialist.

Information known only to the Department Head

Perspective of the Department Head – You value the section head, a good performer with many years’ experience. When you first joined the department, the section head taught you a great deal about the unit’s day-to-day operations. This support was invaluable in helping you learn and manage your job.

Recently the section head has been expressing job dissatisfaction and a desire to make a change. However, you do not believe that the section head will rise much further in the company. You suspect this person lacks the ambition to make the extra effort to advance. You also think the section head would have difficulty adjusting to a new job, having done the same type of work for so long.

While you would be very sorry to lose the section head, you believe there is little chance that will happen. The section head is unlikely to find a position at another company at the same level or salary. Lateral transfers within your company are rare, although they have become a bit more frequent lately.

Still, you wish to recognise the section head’s achievements and increase this person’s job satisfaction. To accomplish this, you would be willing to expand the section head’s current role. For example, you could delegate some of your more important and challenging projects to the section head. This would help you, too, since you have more work to do than you can handle. The section head also might enjoy presenting professional and technical achievements at national meetings and conferences, or attending a management training course at an exotic location.

The section head has a limited but essential role to play in your department. You would like the section head to continue in that role, but to take on more responsibility to achieve greater job satisfaction.

Influence Objective(s)
Influence Style or Behaviour you intend to practise
Core Style Statement

Information known only to the Section Head

Perspective of the Section Head – You are clearly not going to rise much farther in the company, although you have performed as well or better than others who have been promoted more quickly. For awhile, you felt bitter about this apparent injustice, and had difficulty coming to terms with it. However, you have begun to face reality and make plans for what to do with the rest of your life.

Although you like your job, you wish to expand your responsibilities. Specifically, you want to teach others the technical knowledge and skills you have gained during fifteen years on the job. You also would like to stretch your skills by taking on projects outside your narrow area of expertise.

You have thought about going to another firm and have explored several promising opportunities. However, these jobs involved a decrease in salary and in management level. While you could get along on less money now, you would prefer achieving your aims at your present company.

You have decided to ask the department head to help you make a lateral transfer to an affiliate unit. There, you could work on a wider range of tasks and teach people the systems and tricks of the trade you have developed. Since deciding to make this move, you have felt a strong sense of purpose and excitement that has been missing from your life for some time.

However, you realise that you might have problems selling this idea to the department head. In the first place, the company rarely grants lateral transfers, although they have become more common lately. You personally can cite several examples of people in other departments who have moved into positions like the one you seek.

You also represent an important resource that the department head will have difficulty replacing. You would be willing to make your move over a period of months, if the department head agrees to a specific timetable. You refuse to wait indefinitely with the vague hope that something will turn up. If you do not see real commitment and movement, you will have to make something happen yourself.

You need the department head’s support and involvement to get what you want. The department head would be sorry to lose you, and you do believe you can win this person over to your side. In the upcoming meeting, you want to get the department head to see the situation from your point of view and agree to support your decision.

Influence Objective(s)
Influence Style or Behaviour you intend to practise
Core Style Statement

Exercise (20 minutes)

Conduct the exercise: both parties carry out their roles in the meeting.
Enforce the time limit (choose a timekeeper, if necessary).
Remember to record the exercise!

Review (30 minutes)

Now, review and analyse your exercise. Begin by sharing your practice style and your Influence Objective.

Next, analyse the recording using a Tally Sheet to code behaviour. Look for missed opportunities to use the behaviours you wished to practice, and ways you might have been more effective in accomplishing your learning goal for this exercise.

Give the other person constructive feedback: how effective he or she was in accomplishing objectives, practicing specific influence skills and so on.

If you have time, you may repeat the role play. Modify your behaviour based on the feedback you have given or received. Keep in mind that the opening few minutes are the most important. It is not necessary to reach a decision in this exercise replay, as long as each participant has several opportunities to speak.

At the end of the session take time to record useful feedback and learning in your Journal.