Week 18: Role Play

Role play forms very essential part of Training program. Training being a combination of theoretical and practical aspects of mediation, role plays form base for understanding the nuances of mediation. In forty hours’-training program there has to be at least two role plays per day. Maximum learning in any mediation training program happens through Role-plays. Demonstration of very great level of professionalism on the part of the trainer is required while conducting role-plays.

The following tips may be used:

PREPARATION OF ROLE PLAY

1. Role play must be in simple and easily understandable language.
2. If possible, the same can be prepared in the vernacular language.
3. It is better to use story lines from the mediations handled by the trainer or cases conducted by the trainer as an advocate.
4. In the initial stages of the training it is ideal to provide role plays in which there are not more than 2-4 characters. E.g. Plaintiff, defendant, defendant’s brother etc.
5. The facts of the case of the plaintiff and of the defendant be written in not more than one or two paras. Let not the narrative run into several pages.
6. Give confidential information in single sentence one after the other.

Example:

Plaintiff is not interested in suit schedule properties.

Plaintiff is interested in taking cash and walking out.

Defendant is interested in retaining the suit schedule properties.

Defendant does not mind allowing the plaintiff to use the ancestral house.

PREPARATION OF LOGISTICS

1. Sufficient number of legible copies of role plays must be kept ready.
2. Papers must be kept in separate covers with specific Marking.

Example:

Paper to be given only to the Plaintiff is to be kept in a separate cover with a Marking “Plaintiff’s confidential information”.

FORMATION OF GROUPS

1. Trainer should keep the list of trainees throughout the training program.
2. For every role play, the group members are to be identified by the trainer well in advance.
3. It is ideal to take the list of trainees before the first day of training itself, and prepare the list of members of each group, for each role play.

ON THE FLOOR – FORMING THE GROUP AND ASSIGNING THE ROLES

1. Trainer has to call out the names of the participants of each group and assign them the roles.
2. Until all the group members are seated papers should not be distributed.
3. Once the group members know who has to play which role, papers are to be given.
4. Five minutes’ time is to be given to the participants to read the facts of the case.

PREBRIEFING

Telling the Gist: After drawing attention of all the participants, trainer has to give the gist of facts of the role play.

Motivation: Trainer has to motivate the participants to involve in the assigned roles.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Trainer has to inform the participants the objective behind the role play.
2. Trainer has to give specific instruction as to what is required to be done by each role player.
3. Trainer may inform the participants how to allot time for each stage.

Example:

Greeting seating Opening statement 10 minutes.

Joint session – 15 minutes

Private session with each group 15 minutes.

FOLLOW UP

As the role play is going on the trainer has to move from one group to the other and help them with feedback. Trainer has to make note of the mistakes if any committed by the participants. If the trainer finds it difficult to correct the trainee during the role play, the points can be noted and the trainee can be corrected after the role play is over.

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SOME MISTAKES                                                    

1. Not working on the role plays before hand.
2. Not keeping sufficient number of copies.
3. Not structuring the seating, assignment of roles and distribution of papers in a professional manner.
4. Not anticipating the probabilities of chaos, confusion and indiscipline.
5. Not knowing the facts of the role play.
6. Not working on how to tell the gist of the role play.
7. When some questions are asked by the trainees, picking up the paper and reading the facts for the first time.
8. Not informing the participants as to what is expected to be done and how.
9. Allowing the participants to choose the roles on their own.
10. Not monitoring the participants while they are doing the role play.
11. Not assigning specific task to each of the co-trainers.
12. Considering the role play time as free time for the relaxation of trainers.

“Professionalism is all about how you do what you do”

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(All Copyrights reserved by the author S. Susheela)