Role-Play Scenarios Script

Below are three workplace scenarios. In each group, assign one student to be the Employee, one to be the Manager, and one to be the Observer. Follow the instructions and sample lines to practice unwritten norms in action.

Scenario 1: Running Late on Your First Day

Focus Norms: Punctuality • Advance Notification

Background:
Today is your first day at Tech Solutions. You’re scheduled to start at 9:00 AM but you overslept and arrive late unless you call ahead.

Roles & Instructions

Employee (Intern)
• Goal: Call your manager before the shift starts, apologize, give an accurate arrival time, and show responsibility.
• Before you “arrive,” dial in and say something like:
• “Hi Ms. Patel, this is Jordan, your new intern. I’m so sorry—I overslept and will be there by 9:20. Is that okay?”

Manager (Ms. Patel)
• Goal: Model professional response—listen, accept the apology if genuine, remind the employee of why punctuality matters.
• You might say:
• “Good morning, Jordan. Thank you for calling. Please aim to be here by 9:20; remember your teammates rely on you. See you soon.”

Observer
• Watch for whether the employee called before arriving, offered a sincere apology, and gave a clear ETA.
• Note how the manager balances understanding with reinforcing the importance of punctuality.

Scenario 2: Email Update Gone Casual

Focus Norms: Communication Style • Professional Tone

Background:
Your manager asked you to send a written progress update on your team project by 5:00 PM today.

Roles & Instructions

Employee (Project Lead)
• Goal: Draft an email update, but you’re tempted to use casual language, emojis, and shorthand.
• Write or read aloud what you’ve written (e.g., “Hey boss 😊, just a quick FYI—the stuff’s almost done. LMK if u need anything else!”).

Manager (Mr. Alvarez)
• Goal: Respond with constructive feedback—point out missing details and why tone matters.
• You might write or say: “Thanks for the quick note. Could you send a bulleted list of completed tasks and next steps? Also, please remove emojis and use full sentences.”

Observer
• Identify how the casual email broke norms (tone, clarity, formality).
• Suggest two specific changes the employee could make to improve professionalism.

Scenario 3: Virtual Meeting Etiquette

Focus Norms: Digital Etiquette • Respectful Speaking Turns

Background:
Your manager is leading a Zoom meeting to review quarterly goals. You have a question but aren’t sure how to ask it properly.

Roles & Instructions

Employee (Team Member)
• Goal: Practice proper digital etiquette: mute/unmute, use the “raise hand” feature or chat.
• In your role-play, interrupt first (unmuted, speaking over the manager), then redo it by raising your hand or typing in chat:

1. “Wait, I have a question!” (interrupting)
2. “(Raise hand)…Yes, can you clarify our deadline?”

Manager (Team Lead)
• Goal: Model how to handle interruptions and invite questions at the right moment.
• First, politely say: “Let me finish this point, please.” Then: “I see John raised his hand—go ahead, John.”

Observer
• Note what happened when the employee interrupted versus when they used the raise-hand/chat feature.
• Record two benefits of using digital etiquette (e.g., fewer disruptions, clearer communication).

After each role-play, observers share their notes and the group discusses:
• Which unwritten norms were followed or broken?
• How did that affect the interaction?

Mock Workplace Role-Plays Activity Guide

Purpose:
Students practice unwritten workplace norms in realistic scenarios, observe peer behavior, and give constructive feedback.

Materials (per group):

• Role-Play Scenarios Script
• Observer Notes Sheet (see below)
• Pen or pencil

Group Setup (3–4 students):

• Employee: Acts out the scenario following the script.
• Manager: Responds and models professional norms.
• Observer(s): Takes notes on norm-following/breaking and impact.
• If four in a group, one student can be a second observer or timekeeper.

Time: 15 minutes total

Steps

1. Assign Roles & Distribute Materials (2 minutes)

   • Hand out the script and Observer Notes Sheet.
   • Clarify which scenario each group will enact first.

2. Round 1 Role-Play (6 minutes)

   • Employee and Manager perform the scene.
   • Observer records notes (see Observer Notes Sheet).

3. Rotate Roles & Scenario (1 minute)

   • Rotate so each student experiences at least one acting role and one observing role.
   • Move to the next scenario if time allows.

4. Round 2 Role-Play (6 minutes)

   • Repeat performance and observation with new roles.

5. Wrap-Up & Reflection (teacher-led, outside guide)

   • Groups share highlights from their Observer Notes Sheet during class discussion.

Observer Notes Sheet

Scenario Title: __________________________

1. Which unwritten norms were followed? Provide examples:

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2. Which unwritten norms were broken? Provide examples:

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3. What was the impact on the interaction or outcome?

   ---

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Two pieces of constructive feedback for the Employee:

   • ---

     
     
     

   • ---

     
     
     
5. Two pieces of constructive feedback for the Manager:

   • ---

     
     
     

   • ---

     
     
     

Reflect on Do’s and Don’ts

Use this guide to lead a class discussion after the role-play activity. Encourage each group to share specific examples and deepen understanding of unwritten workplace norms.

Discussion Setup (2 minutes)

• Ask each group to nominate one Observer to share out.
• Draw two columns on the board labeled Do’s and Don’ts.

1. Share a “Do” Example (3 minutes)

• Prompt: “Tell us one example of a positive behavior your group saw (a ‘Do’).”
• Ask the Observer to describe:
  • What happened?
  • Which norm it illustrates?

Student Response:

Follow-Up: Why is following this norm important for a workplace?

2. Share a “Don’t” Example (3 minutes)

• Prompt: “Now, share one example where an unwritten rule was broken (a ‘Don’t’).”
• Observer describes:
  • What was the action?
  • How did it affect the interaction?

Student Response:

Follow-Up: What could be the consequences if someone repeatedly breaks this norm?

3. Class Synthesis (5 minutes)

1. Fill in the board columns with each group’s Do’s and Don’ts.
2. Ask:
   • Which Do seems most important? Why?
   • Which Don’t would you least want to see in a real workplace? Why?

Student Discussion:

4. Personal Application (5 minutes)

• Prompt: “How will you practice these unwritten rules in your daily life—at school, online, or in a future job?”

Student Example:

Closing:

• Summarize the top 3 Do’s and top 3 Don’ts from today’s discussion.
• Encourage students to observe and jot down one unwritten rule they notice before the next class.

Link back to role-play scenarios: Role-Play Scenarios Script