Using Role Plays in Assessing Incumbents

In many cases, assessments (including role plays) are used only when measuring competencies in external candidates.  In my experience, companies are much less likely to use these kinds of tools with talent already in their organization.

One of the reasons why internal moves do not work out – and a promotion means you’ve lost your best individual contributor and gained an ill-equipped manager - is that we often tend to overestimate the extent to which previous performance is predictive of future performance (regardless of what Dr. Phil says!)  Even though we know that two work contexts are not the same (for example, being an individual contributor versus being a manager), we tend to think that the skills, knowledge, and competencies that enabled the success in one should be directly applicable in the next. 

Two specific areas where role plays can be helpful:

Coaching

For people moving from an individual contributor role into a management role, structured coaching is often something with which they have little direct experience.  Because they have been a high performer, this person has likely not been getting much “corrective” coaching.  More than likely, they have been on a receiving end of “nice job” and “keep doing what you’ve been doing” conversations.  As a result, they may not have solid models for how these kinds of conversations should be conducted. 

If creating teachable moments and seeing how people react in real-time is what you are after, role plays are fantastic.  Over the course of several years acting as a subordinate in coaching role plays, I’ve been fired five minutes into the role play, promoted to the position ahead of the one being played by the participant, and everything in between. 

Managing by Observation versus Managing by Numbers

When moving from single-site to multisite management, managers find that the relationship between observed behavior and outcomes switch.  In a single-site role, the behaviors that lead to results can be seen, and often corrected, as they happen.  In a multisite role, managers may not even realize there is a problem until they see the impact on a weekly report.  Once an issue is recognized, he or she must “coach the coach” – another critical difference. 

Consider role playing with the incumbent on how they would “coach the coach” after they have reviewed data and reports similar to what they would see on the job.  You should have them act out the role play, not just tell how they would approach the conversation.  The person playing the role of the front-line manager should make some common mistakes and see how the coach addresses them.

Role plays – used either for development or even as part of a selection process - can be great lenses into the assumptions and tendencies people bring with them into their new responsibilities.  

Quick design note - be sure you align the role play with the competency model for the role/level and be very specific regarding what you want to see from a behavioral point of view (e.g., “what does good look like?”)

Chad Thompson, Ph.D. leads the Talent Consulting and Assessment Practice at Taylor Strategy Partners, where he consults with clients on a broad range of talent acquisition and talent management issues.  He is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but you are more likely to catch him at an airport Starbucks.  Connect with Chad via email, LinkedIn, twitter @TSP_Consulting or give him a call at 734-757-9018.