TRAINING DESIGN – By Tiffany McMacken
When done right, role plays equip reps to shine
Have you ever found yourself in a room full of eager workshop participants, only to realize that instead of diving into the role plays you meticulously crafted, they seem to be more engrossed in planning their evening activities?
If you’re nodding along, you’re not alone. It’s a scenario all too familiar to many learning and development (L&D) professionals. Despite our best efforts to engage learners, the challenge of ensuring active participation in role plays persists.
Let’s delve into this common conundrum and explore strategies to transform passive attendees into active learners ready to embrace new skills and knowledge.
An Outstanding Scenario
Imagine a workshop where participants are not just observers but active players, fully immersed and ready to conquer challenges. That’s the essence of role play workshops done right – they equip participants to shine in both the “what” and the “how” of their roles.
So, what exactly makes a scenario stand out? It’s all about weaving together elements like product and disease knowledge, resource utilization, account management finesse, captivating storytelling and the skillful art of engaging through questions and action-specific requests.
But hold on, there’s more to it than just knowing the “what.” It’s about mastering the “how” – embracing uncomfortable silences, resisting the urge to give away all the answers, staying curious and positive and steering conversations with finesse, all while being attuned to tone, pace and body language.
Full Engagement
Crafting scenarios requires careful consideration of various elements to ensure participants are fully immersed and challenged. Here’s a breakdown of what constitutes a well-developed scenario:
- Roles: Each scenario should delineate specific roles for participants to assume. These roles could include representative, physician, key office stakeholders and observers. Assigning distinct roles ensures that every participant has a clear purpose and contributes meaningfully to the exercise – no one can just sit back. You can accomplish this by placing participants into groups, ensuring all roles are covered with at least one observer assigned in each group.
- Personalities: To inject authenticity into the role play, it’s vital to define the personalities of each role. For instance, a physician might have the demeanor of a skeptical expert. By incorporating diverse personalities, participants are challenged to adapt their communication styles and strategies accordingly.
- Key Observations and Objectives: This section should include key objectives that should be demonstrated throughout the role play. Additionally, scenarios should incorporate common objections relevant to the scenario. By including objections, you can prepare participants to handle real-world challenges effectively. Whether it’s addressing cost concerns, overcoming skepticism or navigating apathy, participants should be equipped to respond with confidence and poise.
- Marketing Resources: Each scenario should note what marketing resources could be used.
- Guardrails: Incorporating compliance considerations ensures that participants practice within compliance boundaries, safeguarding both the organization and the patients you serve.
Supporting Roles
As each role play begins, only those in supporting roles (such as physicians, office stakeholders and observers) are given access to the detailed information outlined above. This serves as their playbook, guiding them on how to step into their roles effectively and what to pay attention to, allowing them to provide insightful feedback.
On the other hand, the representative is only provided with a broad overview of the account. This may include past interactions and prescription data. This approach ensures that the role plays closely mimic real-world scenarios.
Now, let’s not forget the final piece of the puzzle: assigning a manager to each group. Think of them as the guiding star, not just observing, but also facilitating meaningful discussions following the role play. It’s these discussions that truly elevate the learning experience. So, make sure to carve out time for them —they’re the secret sauce that adds depth and insight to the journey your participants are on.
Conclusion
By crafting role-play scenarios with meticulous attention to these elements, L&D professionals can create immersive learning experiences that foster significant skill development and enhance knowledge retention.
Each carefully developed scenario serves as a benchmark for excellence, providing a clear roadmap of what success looks like. This targeted approach to feedback ensures that evaluations are specific and avoid generic praise like “That was great!”
The journey of scenario-based role plays in pharmaceutical training can be one of transformation and empowerment. By meticulously crafting immersive scenarios that encompass roles, personalities, objectives, resources and compliance considerations, L&D professionals pave the way for meaningful skill development and knowledge retention.
Tiffany McMacken is founder of The Willow Group. Email her at Tiffany.mcmacken@thewillowgrp.com or connect through LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanymcmacken/.
