TOT 201-WEEK 201
“Road Map for a Role Play ”.
Note: (The objective of this blog post is to help those involved in giving training in mediation to upgrade their skills. Thanks to one and all for being with me through the last 200 weeks. )
Role plays and simulation exercises form part and parcel of mediation training. The competence of a trainer gets reflected by the way in which it is prepared , planned for execution, executed, and the objective is demonstratively achieved.
- Objective: Trainer has to identify why the role play is to be given? The objective that the trainer wants to achieve has to be clear in the mind of the trainer as well in the mind of the participants. The focus can never get deviated from this chosen “objective “.
- Preparation: Keeping the objective in mind the role play has to be prepared.
If possible what is expected and from whom can be noted down as part of instructions also.
- Planning: Trainer has to plan very well as to what should be covered in “pre briefing”.
- Execution: Trainer has to lay a clear road map for the execution of the role play. Role play participants ( role players) have to be given proper instructions.
- Assessment: Trainer to make a quick assessment of what has been executed.
On the very floor, tracking of the level of involvement of parties to the role play and the participants may have to be done by the trainer .
- Debrief: Trainer has to frame the questions based on the objective.
Trainer to facilitate brief discussion focussing on the objective( if time is available) .
Questions may have to be framed in such a way that the trainer and the audience/ trainees are on the same page as far as understanding the question asked by the trainer is concerned.
Trainer has to avoid asking question/s which will have several subjective answers.
Trainer’s question should not give room for confusion, about the very objective of the training .
Trainer to ask specific questions which will have direct answers.
Unless the time permits, trainer needs to frame questions that can be answered in not more than 2 sentences.
When the target audience is a large group, debriefing should not begin unless the trainer has framed the questions to be asked , and is well prepared. ( it is even advisable to keep note of the questions to be asked).
Trainer has to withhold his disappointment with the answers given by the trainees. Trainer should restrain statements of sarcasm .
Trainer has to keep in mind, that he /she cannot expect the same level of understanding , focus, concentration and participation from the trainees/participants as that of the trainer .
Wherever the trainer feels that he has not been getting the answers expected, leading to the demonstration of achievement of objective , the trainer has to check and work on himself/herself .
A quick and periodical assessment of the mindset of the participants is required to be done by the trainer. Trainer must always keep in mind that role play being his/her child, objective may be very clear to him/her , and the same level of clarity may not be expected from the trainees. Trainer must know very well that such clarity can only be developed through a flawless “pre briefing”
Where the role play has an objective, which has to reach larger group of participants, any error committed by the trainer in pre briefing at the initial stage and debriefing at the end , would bring down the professional credibility of a trainer.
Avoiding questions:
Trainer can also plan a debriefing without even asking questions- so that the content of the demonstrated role play- is taken and the out come is explained.
When the pre briefing and briefing fails – role play fails.
When learning.. “It is not about the Activity, it is about Debriefing”
A Conversation with Matt Richter
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Training of Trainers in Mediation 